Nightmare in Red
by Spunky0ne
Summary: After waking from a coma brought on by a violent assault, Byakuya learns that Renji was executed for the crime. Disbelieving, he uncovers a web of lies surrounding Renji's execution.
1. The Storm

**Nightmare in Red**

**By Spunky0ne**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: The Storm**

**(Warning…violence, suggestion of non-con sex)**

"You have to get over this, Renji," Rukia said, firmly, "Holding on to this anger towards my brother is…"

She was interrupted by the approach of the waitress, who carried their plates. The young woman flinched and looked uncomfortable as she set the plates down.

"Renji," Rukia admonished him, "Your reiatsu is going to fry us. Take it down a notch, okay?"

"S-sorry," muttered the redhead, trying to relax and smiling apologetically at the waitress, "My boss…he's a real bastard. Sometimes he makes me so mad, I feel like he's going to drive me crazy!"

"I understand," said the girl, looking back at the restaurant manager, "I feel the same way sometimes…"

Rukia watched as the woman walked away, then frowned at the redhead.

"I know he isn't easy to get along with sometimes, but…"

"_Sometimes_?" Renji repeated disbelievingly, "Rukia, you have to take your head out of the hole you dug in the sand and pay attention. Taichou has been _awful_ to me lately. I mean, I get that he is probably still pissed I raised a sword to him…and let's face it. He doesn't think I'm good enough to scrape the shit off his shoes! And I've _tried_ to be good to him! I sat in that fucking healing center the whole time he was there after he got hurt rescuing you! I did everything I could to make things right. But it's like he doesn't see any of that. He just sits in that damned chair, filling out reports and fucking _ignoring_ me! I think he's trying to make me ask for a transfer, but if that's what he wants, then why the hell doesn't he just come out and say it? Why the games?"

Rukia sighed softly and squeezed her friend's hand.

"Please listen to me," she said softly, "My brother went through a lot because of Aizen's betrayal. A man he trusted set me up to be executed, and set Byakuya up to go along with it. He set the two of you against each other. He manipulated all of us very badly. And my brother was injured worse by that than by Gin's blade! Think about it, Renji. He trusted Aizen and he got hurt."

Renji lowered his eyes.

"He trusted me too," the redhead said softly, "and I turned on him. That's what this about, isn't it."

"I think that's part of it. But Renji, there is something more."

Rukia bit her lip, wondering if it was all right to tell him what she knew. It was private, but her instincts told her that if Renji knew, it would help to cure him of his anger.

"What is it?" Renji asked, his eyes showing the slightest glimmer of hope.

"Well," Rukia said softly, "I have been…noticing some things…about Byakuya."

Renji frowned.

"Like what?" he asked, leaning forward onto his elbows and forgetting his food.

"Like…when he was in the healing center and you handed him his tea. Your hands touched and Byakuya blushed."

"Oh that?" Renji said, brushing it off, "He said it was overly warm in there. I remember it was."

"You were blushing too, Renji."

"I was not!" the redhead snapped.

"I saw," Rukia insisted, "And I also saw the way he looks at you when you leave the office, because a few times, I was there when you left. And I hear it in the way he says your name."

Renji shook his head.

"Okay, so you think Taichou wants me? Is that it? Because that is just the opposite of the way he acts towards me! The guy acts like he can't fucking stand to look at me!"

"He almost _killed_ you, Renji!"

"Yeah, I remember," said the redhead, with an edge of sarcasm, "I was there."

"Shut up and stop being so stupid!" Rukia said reproachfully, "Don't you get it? Byakuya is attracted to you, but he is afraid that if you know, you will find a way to use it against him!"

"Because I already turned against him once…is that what you're saying?"

"That, and he trusted Aizen, and look what happened. Renji, I don't think he wants to hurt you, but if you feel something for my brother, then you have to work with him and try to break through…try to earn his trust again. You won't be sorry. I promise. Just…go back to work…and give him a chance. I know you two can get through this. You need each other, Renji. Whether you know it or not, you and Byakuya need to help each other get over what happened!"

Renji fell silent, thinking through what Rukia had said. He finished eating, saying little more, then paid the bill for their lunch (making sure to leave a good tip for the waitress he had intimidated). He returned to the sixth division, ready to try what Rukia suggested.

He walked into the division and greeted his taichou with a smile.

"Good afternoon, Taichou," he said, smiling.

"Hmmm," said Byakuya, not looking up.

Renji shrugged it off and walked down to the squad kitchen, where he made Byakuya's tea. He smiled and whistled as he worked, and was in a better mood as he walked back and placed it on the noble's desk.

"Here you go, Taichou," he said, smiling again.

"Hmmm," muttered the noble, still not looking up.

As the afternoon wore on and storm clouds gathered over the Seireitei, Renji tried to hold onto a positive attitude and to break through the stubborn noble's silence. But try as he might, he could not breach his taichou's tight defenses. And by evening, he was angry again, so angry that his reiatsu sounded in his ears like the thunder that boomed outside. He was furious inside at his inability to get any kind of response, and felt stupid for even listening to Rukia. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He swept his arm across his desk and sent his paperwork flying.

"Pick that up and sort it at once, Abarai," Byakuya said solemnly.

Renji stood up so fast, his chair went crashing into the wall behind him.

"FUCK YOU!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, thankful that they were alone in the office, "I've had all I can take!"

He shoved his desk so that it overturned, then stomped over to the noble's desk and grabbed Byakuya's forearms, pressing them down on the armrests of his chair, and glaring into the noble's surprised eyes.

"STOP FUCKING IGNORING ME!" he yelled.

He saw anger flash in Byakuya's eyes and felt the noble's reiatsu rising. Knowing he was about to launch into a reprimand, the redhead leaned forward and fastened his lips on Byakuya's, silencing him. The noble froze as Renji's lips caressed his, and as his tongue invaded, teasing Byakuya's until he could feel the noble's body shiver. Byakuya shoved him away, suddenly, pushing him so that he lost his balance, his back struck the wall and he slid down and sat on the floor, looking up into Byakuya's deadly furious expression.

"Go ahead," he said defeatedly, "Throw me out of the squad if it makes you feel better, but you and I both know what's really going on. We _both_ feel something, Taichou! And that's why you're doing this. That's why you're ignoring me. You don't want to see it. You don't want to know. And…I guess it doesn't matter what I do. You're just going to push me away…aren't you?"

The anger had left the noble's eyes and Byakuya stared back at him, pale faced and silent.

"I'm just some shitty peasant," Renji said in a low, trembling voice, "not good enough for someone like you. Of course you'd ignore me. If not because I'm a peasant, then because I turned against you."

"Renji…"

"I know you're still pissed about that."

"I'm not angry."

Renji met the sad, gray eyes with tear-filled red-brown ones.

"But you can't stand to look at me," Renji whispered, blinking back the tears, "and you'll never trust me again. And that's why you're trying to get me so pissed that I'll leave. You don't want to be the bad guy, ne?"

He got up slowly and moved to the chair beside Byakuya's desk. He sat down and looked Byakuya in the eyes.

"Taichou, you and I both got completely screwed by Aizen. There's peobably not anyone in the Seireitei who didn't. The guy was a head case. But we don't have to let him break us down. If he makes us turn against each other, then he wins. I know you don't want that."

"And the way to 'screw' Aizen is to start a relationship with each other?" Byakuya asked suddenly.

"No," said Renji, more softly, reaching out and taking Byakuya's hands in his, "We only need to forgive each other. And once we've done that, then we can look and see where we are."

Byakuya gazed into Renji's eyes for several long minutes. And Renji could feel his mind turning over all that had passed between them. The dark eyes were still sad and stormy. As they sat in silence, rain began to pound down outside the sixth division office. Byakuya blinked slowly and his eyes registered an answer. He took a soft breath and broke eye contact.

"You are dismissed," he said quietly, "Go home, Abarai."

Renji loosed a soft sound of discomfort and stood. Not looking at Byakuya, he moved slowly back to his desk and began to pick up the papers he had thrown around.

"Leave it," Byakuya said sternly, "Go home, Renji."

Renji bit his lips hard and froze for a moment, then flash stepped across the room and disappeared out the door, slamming it loudly and leaving Byakuya behind in the devastated office.

The noble looked at the door for several minutes, then rose onto unsteady legs, studying the results of his fukutaichou's rage. He knew he should be angry at the redhead for such an outburst. He should have forced Renji to clean up the mess he'd made. But something inside him wouldn't let him be angry with Renji. Some part of him felt weighted down with guilt that he had been so remote with the redhead, that Renji had been driven to near violence. He shivered, feeling again the angry grip of Renji's hands on his arms. He could have fought back. He could have hurt the redhead for laying hands on him, but he couldn't bring himself to go through with it. Instead, he felt icy and frozen inside, unable to move towards Renji, but unable to walk away.

"No wonder he's so angry," Byakuya whispered, "I am driving him crazy. I have to find a way to fix this"

He broke off as thunder boomed outside, shaking the building and the lights flickered, then went out. Byakuya stood for a moment in the darkness, letting his eyes adjust, then sighed and decided to clean up in the morning before anyone came in. He started across the room, intending to stay in his quarters, rather than to brave the storm and walk home. Halfway to his room, he turned back, remembering that Renji had been too angry to lock the door on his way out. He turned back, and as he did, it struck him that the door was now open and banging against the wall.

"R-renji?" he said softly.

Thunder boomed and the rain pounded down outside the open door. Byakuya swallowed hard, then moved forward and closed and locked the door. A moment later, something struck his head from behind and he felt himself falling. He tried to release a quick kido spell, but something hit him in the face, making his head strike the ground and leaving him stunned. A silver band snapped shut around his wrist, sealing away his spirit energy. Through the spots that danced before his eyes, the noble saw a cloaked and hooded figure. The person leaned over him and began to bind his wrists and ankles with kido.

"Wh-what are you d-doing?" he gasped, "Who are you?"

He peered into the darkness, trying to make out the face, but could not focus properly. Rough hands took hold of the ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu. The person brought it to his nose and breathed in deeply, then a knife appeared in his hand and sliced through the expensive material.

"What do you want?" Byakuya asked, struggling against his bonds.

The person paused, holding up the knife so that the moonlight reflected on its surface.

"I want you to pay," hissed a male voice.

The voice was familiar, but had been obscured, just enough that he couldn't place it. He struggled wildly, then, as the man leaned over him and slowly opened his clothing, cutting away any pieces that got in the way. Within minutes, Byakuya was naked, lying on the remains of his clothes, and his attacker paused and gazed down at him.

"Do you know…I've watched you for a really long time?" the man asked in that same obscured whisper, "I've watched you very closely, Kuchiki Byakuya. And you didn't know it, but I saw you naked like this quite a few times. You have a lovely body…but unfortunately, I'm a peasant…too low, too beneath you to ever have a hope of touching you. But I will touch you now. I will touch you, and you will have no way to stop me."

Byakuya threw himself against the kido as the man's body came down on top of his.

"You can't stop me."

But the words didn't stop him from trying. Again and again, he threw his weight against the restraints as the man on top of him began the promised assault. After several tries, the kido shattered and Byakuya turned, throwing the man off of him. He dragged himself to his feet and staggered to the door, only to find it was securely locked and the key was in his clothes. He turned back, just in time to see the dark form rise up in front of him. The man's weight crashed into him, throwing him against the door and making light explode in his head. He slid down the door, darkness closing in around him. The one thing he found himself thankful for was that he wouldn't feel it when the man assaulted and killed him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji was almost back to his apartment before he realized that he had left his keys behind. He felt lucky that he always kept a spare key hidden for just such times. He entered the apartment building and climbed the dark stairs, listening to his neighbors grumbling about the lack of power. Reaching the top of the stairs, he turned down the hallway and made his way to his apartment. He reached above the door and felt for the key, only to find that it was gone.

"Great," he muttered, then he froze for a moment as he noticed that the door was ajar.

He pushed it back slowly, remaining out in the hallway and peering inside. He didn't see anyone, so he moved through the door warily and looked around. He sighed in resignation, noting that someone had stolen his TV and entertainment system.

"Aww, damn it," he muttered, "That kind of shit doesn't usually happen here."

In fact, he didn't remember a single case of anyone in the building getting robbed. He shook his head and closed the door, then started to clean up the mess the thieves had left behind. Finishing that, he climbed into the shower, grateful that the hot water didn't depend on electricity to keep working. He stood under the steamy water, letting the events of his long day fall away and trying to forget what an ass he'd made of himself, trying to seduce his taichou.

"Shoulda known he'd blow me off," he muttered, sighing in resignation, "I'm such a fucking idiot…"

He finished his shower and slipped into a yukata, then he moved back through the darkness and climbed into his bed. Despite his depression, sleep fell over him quickly and soon he was snoring softly.

He never heard the gas that hissed in from under the door, and never felt the hands that lifted him and carried him off into the night.


	2. Without Penitence

**Chapter 2: Without Penitence**

**(Warning…some disturbing imagery)**

Rikichi rolled over and glanced at the clock, then groaned as he realized that the storm had knocked out the power. He climbed out of bed and dressed hurriedly, then found a clock that ran on batteries and sighed in relief, noting that he had managed to wake at the normal time. He ate a quick breakfast, then left the barracks and walked to the sixth division headquarters.

He was stunned to find that the lights inside were off and the door was locked.

But he knew that Renji (because of his penchant for forgetting his keys) left a key secreted under a rock near the door, so he bent and retrieved it, then inserted it in the lock and opened the squad room door.

Rikichi froze.

Inside, the office was a bloody, chaotic scene. Both desks had been tumbled and the chairs smashed against the walls. Papers were strewn everywhere and blood spattered on many of them, as though it had exploded from somewhere nearby. His heart pounded and dizziness swept over him as he spotted Kuchiki taichou's clothes, sliced to ribbons and left on the floor. A trail of blood led from the office into the taichou's quarters.

Swallowing his fear, Rikichi drew his zanpakutou and headed into the hallway. He turned towards the taichou's quarters and noticed that the door was ajar. With trembling hands, he pushed the door open. A hand flew to his mouth and his eyes went as wide as saucers.

Kuchiki taichou laid, naked and facedown in a pool of blood, with Senbonzakura driven through one slender, pale shoulder, pinning his body to the ground. The position of his body, the traces of blood, and the array of bruises along his back and inner thighs told Rikichi beyond doubt what the attacker had done to Byakuya. And in case he had missed it, the perpetrator had inscribed the words, "Fuck Nobility" in frighteningly elegant calligraphy on the fine, white skin of his back. As a final insult, the attacker had sliced away the long waves of black hair and strewn them around the noble's body.

With a frightened sob, Rikichi flash stepped to Byakuya's side and searched desperately for signs of life. Finding a faint pulse, he whispered a soft reassurance and swiftly found a yukata to drape over the noble. He sent hell butterflies to the fourth division and Soutaichou to sound the alarm, then sounded the division alarm and quickly secured the office and bedroom areas for the investigation. Returning to Byakuya's side, he focused healing power into the noble's motionless form, talking softly to try to rouse him.

"Kuchiki taichou, can you hear me?" he said in a shaky voice, "Kuchiki taichou?"

Unexpectedly, the injured man moved very slightly under his hands. The dark, glazed eyes struggled to focus on him, and the noble's lips moved.

"R-ren…ji…"

"What?" hissed Rikichi, "Did they hurt Renji too?"

But Byakuya's eyes had gone blank again and he shivered softly under his subordinate's hands. It seemed to Rikichi as though it took forever for the healers and Soutaichou to arrive. He remained on the floor, his reiatsu wrapped around his taichou, his young body shivering at what had happened, and wondering if Renji was hurt too. But he had seen no sign of the sixth division fukutaichou. Yet at this time of the morning, Renji should have been there. He nearly worried himself into a frenzy before the door opened and the healers and investigators arrived.

Rikichi watched quietly as the healers bent over his injured taichou, carefully answering their questions, then when they were done, he flash stepped across the hall to the fukutaichou's quarters. Not finding Renji there, he ran out of the division and around the corner to the apartment complex where Renji lived. He took the stairs two-by-two and ran to the door, then knocked stridently.

"Renji!" he called urgently, "Renji!"

Getting no answer, Rikichi returned to the sixth division, just in time to see the healers carefully lift Byakuya to carry him to the healing center.

"Rikichi," said Soi fon taichou, who had arrived while he was looking for Renji, "I understand you were the one who discovered Kuchiki taichou. I have a few questions for you."

"O-okay," answered the youth, nervously.

"Tell me what you found when you arrived."

"Um…" said Rikichi, slowing his breathing, "I…I found…the office was destroyed. The desks were thrown over and the chairs were smashed. There were…papers on the floor…and blood on them. I…saw a trail of blood leading into Kuchiki taichou's quarters, and I followed. And I found him on the floor there."

"Was he conscious?"

"No. Well, not when I came in."

"But he regained consciousness?"

"For a moment," replied Rikichi, "He said 'Renji' and then he passed out again."

"But he said Abarai fukutaichou's name?"

"Yes."

"And how did he say it? Like he was calling to him…or…"

"N-no," said Rikichi, uncertainly, "M-more like he was ordering me to find him."

"Did you contact Abarai fukutaichou?"

"I tried, but he wasn't in his quarters, and he didn't answer when I went to his apartment and knocked on the door."

"Did you see anyone around the outside of the office, or heading away from it?"

"No. No one was around."

"Very well," said Soi fon, looking somewhat frustrated, "I will send someone to inform Abarai fukutaichou what has happened. You are free to go, but be aware that we may have more questions for you later."

"Hai, Soi fon taichou," the youth said, bowing.

He turned away and flash stepped out the door, then up the street in the direction of the healing center.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya felt the slow return of his subconscious mind, although he seemed to have lost all connection with his body. Thoughts mingled with bits of memory flickered and seethed as his mind tried to wrap itself around the cold, hard facts of what had happened. It seemed incomprehensible. But defeat, however it found him, always felt that way. And this time, it was more than defeat. He could feel the close presence of death, the sense that only the slightest shift in circumstances could make the difference.

If he had been close to death after being impaled on Ichimaru Gin's zanpakutou, then this was much, much closer.

"_Kuchiki taichou!"_

He wasn't sure if it was really Rikichi's voice, and if it was, he wasn't sure there was any life within his body left to save. He couldn't feel anything at all. He sensed a soft flare of power, and knew that there should have been some kind of response in his body. And then, just as he was beginning to think he had actually died, he felt the cool touch of shaking hands touching his skin. He latched onto that and let it anchor him to life.

But even remaining just that much alive, he drifted somewhere between dream and memory, the two blending until he wasn't sure which was which.

He felt his body drop to the floor and sensed the slow, stalking approach of his attacker. Cold hands touched him and an even colder voice muttered an admonishment at him for being less of a challenge than expected.

_He knew that voice…_

_Even obscured as it was, it was familiar. It had a certain quality to it that he should have been able to pick out. If he hadn't let himself be distracted…_

_He heard loud peals of thunder and pouring rain, mixing with the sounds of things in the squad room being tossed about, and he wondered why the other had stopped attacking him and started destroying what was left of the room. The person's motion was slow and methodical as he worked his way around the room._

_He managed to regain enough strength to try to run. If he could get to his knees and be fast enough, he could reach his quarters and sound the alarm. His attacker stood between the squad room alarm button and him, but there was another control panel in his room. And once he sounded the alarm, his attacker would likely flee._

_So he waited until the cloaked and hooded assailant had turned away and then he threw himself into motion. He reached the door and staggered inside as his attacker let out a growl of fury and charged after him._

_So quickly…_

_Too fast…_

_He opted for making a desperate attempt to reach the panel, rather than bothering with a door that he was sure would only be blown of the hinges anyway. A flare of reiatsu erupted behind him and he was thrown off his feet and away from the control panel. He heard the unsheathing of a blade and a moment later, felt the unforgiving sting of compromised flesh, tissues and bone. He wasn't sure where he had been hit, but it was, to be certain, a devastating injury. It shocked his mind into another hard spin and reality shifted. He could still sense what was happening, but thankfully, he was spared any further physical pain._

_His attacker took his time, methodically seeing to the rough invasion of his body, then a much slower desecration. He could feel the seething hatred of the man, and wondered who it was…and how he had wronged the man. It was somewhat of a surprise that he took such care to lay the hurts upon his flesh and yet never yielded a name or a reason. Perhaps he thought Byakuya too far gone, or perhaps he thought that the noble should have known immediately who would hate him that much._

_But there was nothing in the masked voice, darkened face, or hateful touches that gave him away._

_Why?_

_He remembered the man mentioning being a peasant. And the last of his actions before walking away were telling. The first was the slow engraving of words into Byakuya's flesh. It made him wonder what the words were, but he was fairly certain now that he would never know. But the final assault was the one that defined things for Byakuya, the return of the knife he had seen and the soft fall of liberated strands of hair onto his bloodied skin._

_He had known hateful people before, but only once had he encountered someone that wicked…_

_And suddenly, he didn't need to ask who or why._

_He knew._

_"Goodbye, Byakuya," the man said, allowing Byakuya to finally hear him clearly, "And this time, I don't think even Unohana taichou will be able to save you. But that is the price for your arrogance…your defiance. One way or another, you and the rest of the nobles like you will lower yourselves before the new king."_

XXXXXXXXXX

"Please, you have to tell me," Rukia sobbed, "Is Nii-sama alive? I know it's bad, Hanatarou, but…is he…alive?"

The healer sighed and met her eyes wearily.

"They are still healing him," he said, not knowing how to go on from there, but pushing forward in an effort to offer his friend some kind of hope, "But he was still alive when they sent me out to talk to you. He is hurt very badly, but I'm sure Unohana taichou will be able to help him. She is the best healer in the three worlds!"

"B-but…Nii-sama was already hurt very badly just a few weeks ago! He can't have been fully recovered and…oh, Hanatarou, what happened to him? Who attacked him? Did Nii-sama say anything?"

"We don't have all of the details," Hanatarou said, shaking his head, "We only know that he was alone at the sixth division headquarters and that someone attacked him there. We don't know yet who or why. I'm sorry. I wish we knew more."

"Renji!" Rukia said, her eyes widening, "He must not know about Nii-sama! If he knew, he would be here."

She froze for a moment, staring at Hanatarou and knowing she couldn't leave Byakuya, but worrying for her friend.

"They've sent hell butterflies to inform everyone who should know," Hanatarou said, "Let me sit and wait with you, Miss Rukia. There should be some news soon."

He sat down in a chair and coaxed her into sitting down with him. Rukia leaned against his shoulder, not even trying to stop her tears. She didn't even look up as the entry doors opened and several members of the Kuchiki Council of Elders appeared in the room. Head Councilor Nori sat down next to Rukia and waited until she had recovered herself enough to look at him.

"Has there been any word?" he asked softly.

Rukia swallowed hard and shook her head.

"Only that he was still alive when he arrived here," said Hanatarou.

"And we will remain hopeful," said Nori, slipping a hand into Rukia's.

The young woman sniffed softly and nodded. The gathered relatives froze as Unohana taichou stepped into the room and approached them, looking sad and weary.

"H-how is Nii-sama?" Rukia asked in a voice barely above a whisper, "Is he…going to be…all right?"

"I cannot answer that, as of yet," the healer said solemnly, "but he is still alive now, and we hope very much that we can save him. His injuries are very severe. This attack was meant to end his life, and it nearly has. At this moment, he is unconscious and we are not able to wake him."

"Unohana taichou," said Nori, looking up at her, "What can you tell us about his injuries?"

The healer's lips tightened and she paused before speaking.

"He suffered a serious head injury," she began, "He has multiple bruises and lacerations, broken ribs, and internal injuries. And there is a serious injury to his shoulder where a zanpakutou struck him."

"Did you identify whose?" asked Nori.

"It was Senbonzakura," sighed the healer.

"This attacker was not stupid," commented the head councilor.

His eyes narrowed and he took a steadying breath.

"But something tells me that is not all of it," he said softly.

Unohana shook her head and considered her words carefully.

"He was sexually assaulted, and the attacker left defining marks on his body."

"D-defining marks?" stammered Rukia, "What do you mean?"

"The kenseiken wasn't simply removed, but cut away…and…an epithet against the noble class was cut into his skin."

"I see," whispered Nori, stiffening in reaction, "Then he was attacked because he is noble?"

"It seems that way," said the healer solemnly, "But the methodical nature of the crime suggests that it was also directed at Byakuya, personally. His nobility was an issue, but there were other reasons as well."

Nori blinked slowly, his mind reeling with the impact of the information.

"Thank you, Unohana taichou," he said with forced calm.

He slipped an arm around an inconsolable Rukia and brought her head to rest on his shoulder.

"Do not worry, Kuchiki Rukia," he said bracingly, "Byakuya-sama is very strong. He will be all right. And we will make certain that the one who did this pays for it!"

He looked up as the entry doors opened again and another councilor flash stepped into the room.

"Fumio," said Nori, standing, "What is it?"

"They have arrested Byakuya-sama's attacker!"

"Who is it?" asked Nori quickly.

Fumio glanced down at Rukia.

"Nori-dono, it is his own fukutaichou! They have arrested Abarai Renji!"

Rukia's eyes widened and she put a hand to her mouth and stood.

"Renji!" she whispered in horror.

Unable to stop herself, she flash stepped out of the healing center and in the direction of the Repentance Center.


	3. The Accused

**Chapter 3: The Accused**

Rukia flash stepped all of the way to the Repentance Center, pausing briefly outside to be cleared by the guards for entry, then hurried inside and up the long, dark interior stairway. As she climbed the steps, she tried not to think about how, only a short time ago, it had been her climbing these steps and being imprisoned. She shook her head to clear it of the errant thoughts and focused on reaching her longtime friend as quickly as possible. She arrived at the top of the stairs and walked down to the cell Renji was occupying. As she reached it, she felt a thin blade of iciness cut through her.

Renji sat with his back to her, staring out the window, his long red hair unbound and tumbled around his shoulders. A red reiatsu suppressing collar had been placed around his throat and he wore a white yukata and no shoes.

"Renji!" she half sobbed, "Oh Renji!"

The redhead turned and revealed a tormented expression and a tearstained face.

"Rukia," he said in a choked sob, "You have to tell me. Is Taichou…"

He broke off, unable to finish the question.

"He is alive, Renji," Rukia said softly, "but he is in very critical condition."

"B-but he's alive?" Renji asked.

"Yes, for the moment. They don't know…if he'll…"

Renji moved closer and sat down by the bars.

"They think I did it, Rukia!" he went on, "They just showed up out of nowhere and dragged me here. And they told me that he was dead, and that I was suspected of killing him!"

"He was barely alive when they found him, Renji," Rukia explained, "And at first, they thought he was gone. But Unohana taichou managed to pull him through. He's holding his own right now, but we really don't know what will happen."

"He has to be okay. He just has to, Rukia!" Renji said desperately, "I couldn't stand it if he…he…Rukia, he can't die!"

"They are doing everything they can for Nii-sama," she assured him, "but right now, you have to think about how you are going to deal with the charges against you."

"It's horrible, what they said," the redhead said, shaking his head, "They say that I tore the office apart and beat him until he couldn't stand…and…Rukia, they accused me of raping him!"

"I know," Rukia replied, closing her eyes.

"But you know I didn't do this, right?" Renji asked, "You know I wouldn't hurt Taichou, not after everything!"

"I know," Rukia told him gently, "I know you would never hurt my brother like that."

Renji covered his face and released a few muffled sobs, then forced himself to calm and took slow breaths to compose himself.

"S-so…it's really that bad?" he whispered finally, "He was beat up that bad? They…"

"He was beaten badly. He has a head injury, broken ribs, and an injury to his shoulder, where the attacker used Senbonzakura to pin him to the ground. But what makes it even worse is that whoever did this carved words against the noble class into his back."

"Wh-what?" Renji breathed incredulously.

"And they used a knife to cut away the kenseiken and a lot of his hair."

"Oh…oh god…Rukia!" Renji sobbed, "H-how could someone…? How could they…do that to him? And why do they think I would…?"

He paused and composed himself somewhat.

"I guess I know why they think it was me," he admitted.

"Renji," said Rukia, "Just because you two fought over my execution, doesn't mean that you would do something like this to Nii-sama! Everyone knows how you stayed at the healing center with him until he got well again…"

"Yeah," Renji said, brushing a tear away, "And they also know how pissed I was at him yesterday. Rukia, somehow they found out about that waitress…the one at the café that I kind of intimidated. She told them what I said about my 'boss.' And when he was discovered, Rikichi told them that Taichou said my name! They think he was telling them I did this!"

"But neither of those things is enough to convict you of this. They have to have more than that if they hope to prove…"

"They do," Renji said, his shoulders dropping, "When they examined the office, they found my reiatsu on some of the damaged things."

"Of course your reiatsu is on things in the office, Renji. You work there!"

"But mine was the only reiatsu they found besides his! And there was some around bruises on his forearms, where I grabbed him when we argued."

"You had an argument with Nii-sama?" Rukia asked, her eyes widening.

"Yes, I did," Renji admitted, "He was ignoring me and I lost it. I threw some papers around and broke my chair, slamming it against the wall. I did grab his forearms, but I didn't attack him Rukia. I just kissed him. I kissed him and told him that we needed to deal with things. He wouldn't listen. He just…got real quiet and then he sent me home. I left and went home. That's all that happened! I swear it! I didn't hurt Taichou. I wouldn't have done something like that to him, no matter how mad I was! Someone came in after I left. They must have been watching!"

"I believe you," Rukia said, looking into her friend's panicked eyes, "but Renji, with the evidence they have against you…and the fact that Nii-sama is a taichou…"

"I know," Renji whispered, "They'll…they'll convict me. Rukia…they're going to execute me, aren't they?"

"No," said Rukia, shaking her head, "No, we'll find a way to get your name cleared. My brother's cousin, Tetsuya, has been named interim leader. Renji, you know Tetsuya won't let you be…"

"But it's capital case, Rukia," Renji reminded her, "The clan can't interfere with Central 46's handling of the case. They don't have jurisdiction. Only the Gotei 13 can affect the trial and sentence, and you know Soutaichou will follow the advice of Soi fon taichou! She's the one who's already decided I'm guilty."

"Look at me," Rukia said, placing her hands on the redhead's face, "We're going to do everything we can to help you. Try to stay calm and do what you have to. Just…don't give up, Renji. This isn't over."

"Okay," Renji said, swallowing hard and hugging her through the bars, "Thanks, Rukia. Whatever happens, I am grateful to you and Tetsuya. I appreciate you guys standing up for me. I just…I hope it's enough…enough to save my life."

"It will be," Rukia whispered, kissing his cheek, "It has to be."

XXXXXXXXXX

"You have done well," Aizen Sousuke told the cloaked and hooded form at his side, "You set up a very convincing scene. I have to say that I am impressed. Were I investigating the rape and murder of Kuchiki Byakuya right now, I too, would be very focused on Abarai Renji. And once he is tried, convicted and executed for that crime, we will not need to concern ourselves with any pursuit or silly rescue attempts. You are to be commended."

"Actually," said Gin from the doorway, "You might want to hold off on any commendations just yet. I have it from a reliable source that Kuchiki Byakuya is not dead."

"What?" said the cloaked person, "There were no signs of life when I left him. He was dead."

"I see," said Aizen, smirking, "Well, my friend, it seems that our lovely Squad Six taichou employed a little bit of trickery. It would be child's play for one like Byakuya. And I am surprised that as obsessed as you were with him, that you did not realize what he was doing. As it was, he tricked you into forgoing the finishing blow because you wrongly assumed he was dead. How careless of you. You must be mortified."

"I can go back. I can finish him off," the cloaked person said quickly, "Just…"

"It's not a good idea," said Gin, "They have already taken Renji into custody."

"But…!"

"I believe what Gin is trying to tell you is that if you go back and kill Byakuya now, you will only make it likely that Abarai Renji will be cleared of the crime. And we really can't afford that. No, we don't want that at all. Abarai Renji must die…and quickly. We don't want the Gotei 13 to start probing the case too deeply. They might cut through the illusion and expose our plan."

He gazed through the doorway and into the bedroom, where a tattooed man dressed in a simple, white yukata laid unconscious in bed, his features relaxed and untroubled in sleep.

"No…you must do nothing to expose what we are doing. But…after the child has been made and it is too late for it to matter, I certainly don't mind if you slip back into the Seireitei and finish your sloppy work. Byakuya is just smart enough to become a problem if he ever regains consciousness. You must be sure to prevent that."

The cloaked figure smiled.

"Of course, Aizen-sama. As you wish."

"Now, go and keep an eye on developments in the Seireitei. I'll want regular reports from you. I will be in with our guest, helping him to settle in."

"Hai, Aizen-sama."

The cloaked man flash stepped away, leaving Gin looking in the direction he had gone.

"Well, that was a poor turn of luck, with Byakuya not dying as expected," he commented, "Are you sure you don't want me to slip in and finish the job quietly. A little of one of my concoctions and they'll think the poor fellow just succumbed to his injuries in that horrific attack. You know…that guy is really twisted. You think I'm wicked, but _he_…what he did to Byakuya? He is an absolute savage!"

"Rejection will do that sometimes," commented Aizen.

"I've got more than a few ex-lovers, Sousuke, but I usually don't rape and murder them. It's much more fun to leave them alive and hating you with a passion, ne?"

Aizen laughed softly.

"Perhaps," he noted, "But sometimes it is better to just kill them…or at least it's more merciful."

"Merciful? Me? I don't think so. Payback is soooo much more fun!"

"Yes, well, enough of that. I want you to go and prepare more of that compound I had you make before. I am going to get started with Renji. We want to proceed carefully from here. I don't want him catching on to what we're doing."

"Ah, very well," Gin said, smiling, "Have fun…although it will be a little while before you can really have fun."

"Go, Gin!"

"Hmmm, no sense of humor!"

"None at all…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Rukia sat in the gallery beside Tetsuya and the other Kuchiki council members as Renji was led past them and left to stand, facing the councilors of Central 46. She was surprised, given how unsettled he had been before, that Renji could stand so still and look so collected as the men before him prepared to accuse him of crimes that could result in a death sentence. In fact, when she thought about it…it hardly seemed like Renji at all. But then, the situation was so out of their control, it was hard to know what would have seemed natural. She sighed and lowered her eyes for a moment, raising them again as she felt Tetsuya's hand slip into hers.

"I know this is very difficult for you," he said softly, "I hope that you know that I did everything I could. Unfortunately, without my cousin to explain what happened, they have to go on the evidence as it was gathered, and the clan does not have jurisdiction…and in any case, Renji is not a family member, so it would be difficult even if we did have jurisdiction to argue royal privilege."

"I know," Rukia said softly, letting her head rest against the blue-eyed noble's shoulder, "I know you did all you could. This is just…awful. I didn't imagine that Nii-sama would remain unconscious for so long. Tetsuya, it has been weeks and he still doesn't move…and he hasn't opened his eyes! I go every day…and I tell him that he must wake. The only thing that is going to save Renji is if he wakes up!"

"Well," said Tetsuya, "Even if they do convict him, there is a thirty day waiting period, while he seeks a reversal or a pardon."

"You _know_ those are never granted."

"No," her cousin agreed, "but it will buy some time in which Byakuya-sama might wake. We must remain hopeful, Rukia."

"I will," Rukia promised, "Thank you, Tetsuya."

They fell silent as the head councilor banged his gavel and the trial began.

"Abarai Renji," said the head councilor, "The following charges have been made against you. You are accused of assault with intent to kill, assault resulting in grievous bodily injury, assault on a seated officer of the Gotei 13, rape, sodomy, battery and special circumstances for committing these acts as an expression of hatred based on a difference of class. What do you say in response to these charges?"

"I am not guilty of any of those things," Renji said quietly.

"Let the record show that Abarai Renji claims innocence of these crimes."

There was a pause as the plea was entered.

"Soi fon taichou," the head councilor went on, "Will you please give your report on what you found upon entering the sixth division headquarters?"

Soi fon stood and moved forward.

"I have submitted photographic evidence, taken from the scene of the crime," said the second division taichou, "Out of sensitivity for Kuchiki taichou's family, I would ask that the councilors view them in private after I have given my testimony."

"Very well," said the councilor, "Your request is granted. Please continue the report."

"We were called to the scene and found Kuchiki taichou collapsed on the floor in his quarters. There was damage and debris from a violent conflict in the office and bedroom areas. Kuchiki taichou's body showed evidence of a violent assault, bruising and lacerations, splashes of blood on his body and the surrounding area, as well as in the outer office, and his own zanpakutou had been driven through his left shoulder. A class related epithet, which you will see in the photographs, was inscribed into the skin of his back and his kenseiken and a significant amount of his hair had been cut away. Blood on his thighs and healer examination revealed that he was sexually assaulted. We believed him to be deceased at first, but he was revived at the healing center. He is currently comatose and there is no word yet on whether or not he is expected to wake."

"So he might yet die."

"He could…or he could remain in a coma, but you will need Unohana taichou's testimony on that."

"Did you interview anyone or collect any other evidence related to this crime?" asked the councilor.

"I encountered Rikichi of the sixth division. He found Kuchiki taichou, and he said that Kuchiki taichou said Abarai fukutaichou's name. He said that he thought Kuchiki taichou wanted Renji to come to him, but we do not know his actual intent."

"I see. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, as I was leaving the sixth division, a waitress from a café where Abarai had dinner the night before said that he was angry and he called his 'boss' a bastard and seemed very agitated."

"Abarai Renji,?" said the councilor, "Is this true? Were you angry at Kuchiki taichou?"

"I was, but I would never hurt him!"

"And yet, written evidence submitted to Central 46 indicates that your reiatsu was found on some of the smashed furniture and on your taichou's bruised forearms. This seems to indicate…"

"I got angry because he was ignoring me. And I did knock over my chair and break it. I did grab his forearms, but…I wasn't trying to hurt him. I just wanted him to listen."

"And will you tell our council what you wanted him to listen to? What were you trying to accomplish, Abarai fukutaichou?"

Renji paused, biting at his lips and feeling all of the eyes that watched him.

"It was private," he said finally, "It was between Byakuya and me."

"I see. You do realize that holding that back may cause you to look more guilty," the head councilor warned him.

"I know," said Renji, "but that's all I'm saying. What we talked about is nobody's business, and it's not related to what happened, since I didn't do it."

"I see. Do any of you have any further questions?" asked the head councilor.

The room was silent.

"Then we will adjourn to view the photographs and to consider the evidence and testimony. We will return for final questions and testimony."

The room remained silent as the councilors solemnly rose and left the room.

"That doesn't bode well," Rukia said worriedly, "I could tell from the head councilor's voice…"

"I felt it as well," said Tetsuya, "But we knew it might be this way."

They waited quietly as the councilors studied the evidence, then returned and interviewed several more officers and witnesses. With each fact that piled up against the redhead, Renji seemed to deflate a little more, until he finally collapsed onto his knees, his head lowered and his body shaking. Soft sobs sounded as the councilors paused.

"Abarai Renji, why are you crying?"

"Because I know what's going to happen. I know you don't believe me…but for what it's worth…I loved my taichou. I was in love with Taichou. I swear on my life, I would never have hurt him! I swear it!"

"I understand that you and Kuchiki taichou became closer after your disagreement over Kuchiki Rukia's arrest and conviction, but do you mean to say that you were in a relationship?"

"No," Renji sobbed softly, "And we were never going to be. That's what he told me before I left the division to go home. I was heartbroken then, but I wasn't mad. I accepted that he just couldn't love me. I walked away. And the next thing I knew, I was being arrested…but I didn't do this! I swear I didn't!"

There was a long pause as several of the councilors spoke quietly to each other, then the head councilor called the meeting back to order.

"Abarai Renji," he said sternly, "It is the decision of the councilors of Central 46 that you are guilty on all counts…"

"NO!"

"And furthermore…you are sentenced to death…"

"NO! NO, PLEASE! I didn't do it! I didn't hurt Taichou!"

"…by Soukyoku. The execution will take place in thirty days, during which you will be confined to the Repentance Center."

Guards stepped forward and dragged Renji to his feet, then led the sobbing redhead out of the room. Tetsuya wrapped an arm around an inconsolable Rukia and led her away.

A cloaked figure watched quietly as Renji was led out of Central 46 and back to the prison. He slipped into a cluster of trees and opened a garganta, then slipped through and back to Las Noches.

"How goes the trial?" asked Aizen as the man bowed and straightened.

"Abarai Renji was convicted and sentenced to death," he reported.

"Perfect," breathed Aizen, "Now, I must see if we can get that execution day moved up."

He glanced over to where the tattooed man still slept.

"Tomorrow, things will begin to progress quickly…"


	4. Counting Down

**Chapter 4: The Colony**

"What is the latest from the Seireitei?" Aizen Sousuke asked the cloaked spy, sitting forward slightly and leaning his face against the palm of one hand.

"The mod soul you used to replace Abarai Renji has fooled everyone."

"That is good," said Aizen, smiling sedately, "And how goes the effort to get the execution date moved up?"

"Well, it took some arm twisting on my part, and I did have to kill a councilor who got too nosy, but everything is in place. Abarai Renji is scheduled to be executed next week."

"Good," said Aizen, nodding, "Then return to the Seireitei and continue to keep your eye on things. And inform Shuji that he is to move into position to finish Kuchiki Byakuya as soon as that execution has been carried out."

"Hai, Aizen-sama," the spy said, bowing.

The spy turned and left the throne room.

"Things are going well, ne?" said Gin, "At least, it sounds like they are. But there is one thing that is certain."

"Hmmm?" queried Aizen.

"When the mod soul is executed, it will become obvious that it is not Abarai Renji."

"I am aware of that," Aizen said, nodding, "which is why I will attend the execution and will use my Kyouka Suigetsu to make the execution look real."

"Ooh, that's very risky!" exclaimed Gin, "Can I come along?"

Aizen smiled.

"If you wish. Why? Is there someone you want to see?"

"Hmmm, not really," said the silver-haired shinigami, "I am just bored out of my mind here."

"Ah…understandable," said Aizen, "We are in a holding pattern for now, it seems. But…if this goes as planned, we will be moving forward very soon…and while the Gotei 13 is waiting to engage us in Karakura Town, we will actually be entering the spirit dimension…which reminds me, it's time to get started."

"With Renji?"

"Yes. I am going to wake him. I have everything in place."

"I have to say, your plan really is quite ingenius," Gin said, nodding in approval, "I wish you would let me in on _that_!"

"No. I will be doing this alone, except for Renji."

Gin shook his head.

"Ah well," he sighed, "At least I have the execution to look forward to…"

He bowed and flash stepped away, leaving Aizen alone in the throne room.

The leader of the hollows rose slowly and stretched, then slipped Kyouka Suigetsu into his belt and left the room. He went to the room where his captive was still lying in bed, heavily sedated. He wrapped the two of them in illusions and leaned over the unconscious redhead. Slowly, he sent his reiatsu into Renji's body, raising his consciousness and slowly bringing him awake. He watched as the redhead's eyes blinked slowly open, focused on him, then went wide with surprise.

"Wh-what the fuck?" he breathed.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Renji opened his eyes and found himself in a strange room, looking up at a young man with red-brown eyes, long red hair and even tattoos that were similar to his. He stared wide-eyed, his body taut, as the other man looked into his stunned expression and nodded in understanding._

"_Wh-what the fuck?" Renji muttered._

"_Abarai Renji?" said the other man questioningly._

"_Y-yeah?" said the redhead, trying to sit up._

_The other tattooed man assisted him gently in rising so he was sitting up, then adjusted the pillows behind him._

"_You wanna tell me how in the hell I got here?" Renji asked, frowning, "Because when I went to sleep last night, I was in my bed…in my apartment. Where are we? Am I still asleep?"_

"_No," said the other man, shaking his head, "I assure you that we are wide awake. I have to confess that I did take you from your apartment as you slept…because I needed to talk to you. You see, I am Abarai Toru. I am your cousin."_

"_Huh?" Renji said, blinking, "I mean, I see the resemblance. I'd have to be blind not to…but…ah, what's going on? Why haven't I ever heard of you before? Where have you been all of this time? And why did you grab me from my own bed like that?"_

_Toru gave him a tormented look._

"_I am sorry, Renji. I do regret having to act as I did, but…well…you see, I had no choice. You were going to be killed and I had to stop it from happening."_

"_What?" Renji gasped, "Come again? Who was gonna kill me?"_

_Toru let out a soft sigh and slipped a disc into his computer, then called the recorded feed onto the screen. Renji stared in surprise as he saw what appeared to be him, standing in Central 46…on trial._

_**"Abarai Renji, why are you crying?"**_

_**"Because I know what's going to happen. I know you don't believe me…but for what it's worth…I loved my taichou. I was in love with Taichou. I swear on my life, I would never have hurt him! I swear it!"**_

_**"I understand that you and Kuchiki taichou became closer after your disagreement over Kuchiki Rukia's arrest and conviction, but do you mean to say that you were in a relationship?"**_

_**"No," Renji sobbed softly, "And we were never going to be. That's what he told me before I left the division to go home. I was heartbroken then, but I wasn't mad. I accepted that he just couldn't love me. I walked away. And the next thing I knew, I was being arrested…but I didn't do this! I swear I didn't!"**_

**There was a long pause as several of the councilors spoke quietly to each other, then the head councilor called the meeting back to order.**

_**"Abarai Renji," he said sternly, "It is the decision of the councilors of Central 46 that you are guilty on all counts…"**_

_**"NO!"**_

_**"And furthermore…you are sentenced to death…"**_

_**"NO! NO, PLEASE! I didn't do it! I didn't hurt Taichou!"**_

_**"…by Soukyoku. The execution will take place in thirty days, during which you will be confined to the Repentance Center."**_

_**Guards stepped forward and dragged Renji to his feet, then led the sobbing redhead out of the room. **_

_"What? Whe…? Toru, you didn't just grab me from my bed!" Renji exclaimed, "If this is…real…then, I mean how…?"_

"_I can explain," said Toru, "But it is rather complicated."_

"_But wait!" cried Renji, "What happened to Taichou? I got a death sentence for…did they think I killed him? Is Taichou…?"_

"_No, he is not dead," explained Toru, "But he was severely beaten…and he was sexually assaulted. And whoever committed the crime tried to frame you for it."_

"_I have to go to him," said Renji, starting to climb to his feet, "Is he…?"_

"_You can't go to him. Don't you understand?" asked Toru, "You have been found guilty of rape, attempted murder, with special circumstances for hate crimes against a noble, and for crimes against a Gotei 13 Taichou."_

"_But he's…hurt! And I…"_

"_I know," said the other man, "I understand you have feelings for him. But even if not for the trial, still you cannot go back to him. You must remain in hiding or you will be killed and likely your taichou will also be targeted again."_

"_But hold on a sec. If you brought me here the night he was attacked, then…then I've been here through the trial. So who…?"_

"_I replaced you with a mod soul…a very well-made one. So…they have been fooled, but they will likely realize you are gone when they hold the execution and they will be searching for you."_

"_So…what are we supposed to do?" asked the redhead, his hands clenching the sheets._

"_We need to pursue the truth if we want to find a way to set you free of their traps. You see, I have been looking for you for many years. I am a historian by trade and I have been working for some time on my family history. I have been all over the Seireitei, the living world and even Hueco Mundo, looking for information. For many years, the information on my family eluded me. I searched everywhere I could but I could not find what I wanted to know. Then, one day, I was in my office studying the subject, when two royal guardsmen tried to kill me."_

"_What?" exclaimed Renji, "Royal guardsmen? Why?"_

"_I did not understand it at the time either, but I managed to escape them and I went underground to continue looking for information, figuring that if someone wanted to kill me for researching my own past, it was best that I learn as much as I could as quickly as possible. I had to move from place to place as I kept encountering second division assassins, who claimed it was their job to kill me, but never explained why. It took a long time, but finally, I came across the secret while searching in Hueco Mundo."_

"_What secret?"_

"_Renji, the truth is…that we are descended of royalty."_

_Renji's eyes narrowed._

"_I know you won't believe me, but I can prove that everything I say is true, so please allow me to tell you and then I will answer whatever questions you have."_

_Renji studied the man more closely for several minutes, then nodded briefly._

"_There was a noble clan that existed in the spirit dimension, a family of very strong, red-haired fighters, who were chosen to be the defenders closest to the king. The name of the clan has been lost, but it later merged with our family and we are direct descendants. In any case, one of our clan married into the royal family and the child of that man became heir to the throne. But before the son was to ascend, the king was killed and the prince was accused of the crime. Because the heir was accused of a crime, a secondary heir was chosen to ascend. The crown prince was sentenced to death, but was assisted in escaping by two royal guardsmen, who were convinced that the new heir was behind the crime. The prince hid in Hueco Mundo, but eventually emerged and married into the Abarai family. The new king continued to seek the prince, but was never able to find him. It wasn't until after the prince died of natural causes that he found that the prince had merged his blood with the tattooed Abarai family. He sought any direct descendants and believed he killed them all."_

"_But he didn't and I'm some lost heir? Is that the bullshit you're trying to feed me?" asked the redhead, frowning._

"_I assure you, I can provide proof. There is a hollow, here in Hueco Mundo…who used to be one of the royal guardsmen. He became a hollow upon dying to make sure that the descendants were protected, and has secretly watched over you for many years."_

"_So fine," said Renji, "Let's assume for the moment, that you can prove what you are saying. What do you want from me?"_

"_Well," said Toru, "Part of the reason you are being pursued is because of a prophecy. It says that the descendant of the wronged prince will return to the spirit dimension and the wrong shall be righted. I have researched the signs of the prophecy and I believe that you will be the bearer of the king that shall return. That is something else that the hollow can affirm."_

"_Say what? You want me to get knocked up? How the fuck is that even possible?"_

"_You are the heir. If you mate with a male, you can bear a child. If you mate with a female, she will bear it. But I have, as I said, studied the signs carefully. At first, I thought that Kuchiki taichou was meant to be the one to impregnate you. And I think that our enemies agreed, which is why they attacked your taichou and framed you. If you and your mate die, there can be no return."_

"_But, uh…you don't think Taichou was meant to be the one?"_

"_Well, I know for a fact, that you are supposed to bear the child, so your mate will be male, but I have since come to the conclusion that the man is to be a male of the Abarai family…a distant cousin…me, to be precise."_

_Renji stared at Toru silently for several long moments, then burst into laughter._

"_That is the most ridiculous story I have ever heard! Congrats, you really had me going!"_

"_I am completely serious, Abarai-san. And as I told you, I can prove it. I want you to come with me and I will show you the hollow I spoke of."_

"_Fine, I'll go with you," said Renji skeptically, "But you have to know that I think your story is bullshit, and if I still think that after talking to this hollow? I'm going back to the Seireitei."_

"_Very well," said Toru, "Come, we are close to where the hollow lives. It won't take long."_

_Renji slipped out of bed and accepted the kimono that Toru offered him. He dressed slowly, his mind spinning as he tried to deal with the oddness of what was happening. He had no idea if what he was being told was the truth and he was determined not to make a move until he knew for certain._

XXXXXXXXXX

"Kotetsu fukutaichou!" Rukia panted, sliding to a stop at the desk, with Tetsuya a step behind her, "I was told that there has been a change in Nii-sama's condition!"

"Yes," said the young woman, smiling encouragingly, "Come with me."

She led them down several hallways to the guarded room where Byakuya had been placed. They entered the room and moved to his bedside, staring.

"He began to show signs of stirring during the night," explained the healer, "He is breathing and maintaining vital functions completely on his own now and we have heard him make some utterances here and there. We were not able to understand, but Unohana taichou believes that it would be good for his family members to be around him…to talk to him and encourage him as much as possible."

"Of course," agreed Tetsuya, "We will, of course, have family members come to be with him around the clock."

"We can take turns so that he is never alone," Rukia said, nodding and sitting down next to him.

"Rukia-chan," Tetsuya said quickly, "I will need to return to the council hall to inform the council of this and to arrange for others to come and assist us."

"I will stay with Nii-sama," said Rukia, "And I will see you soon."

"Would you like me to make you some tea?" offered Isane as Tetsuya flash stepped away.

"Yes, that would be very nice. Thank you, Kotetsu fukutaichou."

"You are welcome, Rukia-chan," Isane said, smiling and turning away.

Rukia leaned forward and slipped a hand into Byakuya's, still worried by how pale he was and how weak his reiatsu felt. But as she sat holding his hand, she felt it twitch slightly.

"Nii-sama!" she said breathlessly, watching in wonder as his eyelids fluttered and opened, "Nii-sama, you are awake!"

His fingertips moved slightly, but his eyes continued to look dazed and unfocused. His lips moved and Rukia moved closer to listen.

"R-r…e…" he moaned softly, "R-r…"

Rukia squeezed his hand gently.

"I am here, Nii-sama," she whispered, "Wake up, Nii-sama. We need you to wake up!"


	5. Last Wish

**Chapter 5: Passing**

Byakuya's mind surfaced with agonizing slowness, beginning with flurries of awareness. cognizance of the small things...the scent of antiseptic, bright whiteness, crisp, starched sheets and the sting of a needle. Voices reached him, some sounding familiar, but none of them registering as the one he waited to hear.

No, the one he longed to hear.

_But he was angry...so angry._

_And despite what that other man did to me, Renji never came back..._

_He must hate me for rejecting him._

_Not that I was rejecting him. I only felt confused and didn't know what to do. I was lost, trying to decide how to proceed. But Renji had run out of patience. That is why he lost it and grabbed me and kissed me that way. And that is why, when I told him to go...he left and never came back._

_I took too long debating my fears. I didn't listen to my heart, and now it is more broken than when Gin's blade pierced it. And I am sorry. Renji, I am so sorry for tormenting you. That was not what I intended. My fears got the better of me._

_And look what happened because of that..._

_You would have been at my side. That man would not have reached me, because you would have been there to protect me. And now, I lie here in this bed, my reiatsu depleted, my body defiled, and I am alone._

_I am always alone._

_Everyone leaves me._

_Will no one ever stay?_

_Renji..._

"It's a crime, what's going on up there at the central execution grounds," said a soft, feminine voice, "Everyone knows that Abarai fukutaichou was devoted to his taichou. He would never have hurt and disgraced him that way. Never."

_Renji?_

"That trial they gave him was unfair. They say that the councilors had already decided he was guilty. And now he's going to die, and..."

"Renji!" Byakuya groaned, sitting up and swaying dizzily.

He found himself alone in a hospital room, his body aching fiercely all over and his heart pounding.

_The central execution grounds?_

He climbed out of the bed and pulled the IV needle out of his arm, then staggered to the door. His head spun and he tasted blood in his mouth, but he ignored the discomfort and threw everything into moving. He stumbled out into the corridor, careening away from the healer who spotted him and called out his name. He broke into a run and pelted through the waiting area, and out the front doors, flying down the steps and running through the streets, his feet bare, his thin body covered in just a simple white yukata, and the jagged ends of his uneven hair flicking about on the breeze.

_Renji!_

He knew better than to slow, even when pain seemed to erupt everywhere inside him and he tasted fresh blood in his mouth. Everything depended on his reaching that place, screaming out the truth, stopping what was happening. He could hear running feet behind him and moved faster, his body screaming inside as he forced it into flash steps. His spirit centers burned from stress of having been dormant for so long, and then being taxed suddenly, and his energy faded quickly. But he managed to stay just ahead of the healers who followed as he crossed the bridge and reached Soukyoku Hill. He ran past the shocked and sad sixth division officers, past a group of Renji's friends, and Rukia, who was buried in Kurosaki Ichigo's arms and sobbing uncontrollably, to where Soutaichou stood with the other taichous, watching somberly as Abarai Renji was lifted up and the fiery spear came to life.

"No! STOP!" he screamed, "It wasn't Renji! Renji didn't hurt me! Renji is innocent! STOP!"

Strangely, no one seemed to notice him at all.

_What's wrong with them?_

_Why don't they answer? _

_Why don't they look at me? _

_Why won't they stop?_

He heard familiar wicked laughter and felt something snap shut around his wrist, sealing his powers away and sending his terrified mind back to the night of the assault.

_Oh no!_

An arm wrapped around his throat, and another around his waist.

_Oh gods, no!_

"Let go of me! Let me go! Renji!" he screamed as his rapist held him tightly and watched the blazing phoenix close in on the wide-eyed, staring redhead, "RENJI! STOP! RENJI!"

"Why are you screaming and crying like that?" the man who held him asked him in a dead calm voice, "Isn't he a nobody? Trash? A peasant, like me?"

"Tsutomu, you know that is not why I broke off our engagement! I know you want revenge, but it is enough! Stop this! Don't let them...!"

"It is enough?" the man holding him hissed in his ear as the distance between the blazing spear and the redhead diminished, "No...beating you until you couldn't stand, taking forcefully the body you denied me, cutting away the things that made you so desirable and carving my hatred into your skin wasn't nearly enough to pay for the pain you caused me."

"No!"

"Watch him die...and then die yourself. Only then will your debt be paid!"

Byakuya loosed a blinding, incoherent scream as the Soukyoku struck Renji's body, making the redhead howl in agony as his body disintegrated.

And all at once, the other taichous turned, and looked at him as though seeing him for the first time. The man holding him shifted suddenly, grunting in pain, then Byakuya felt the icy thrust of a sword that passed through the man's body and then through his. Strangely, even as the blood exploded out of the two, and they collapsed in front of the stunned, staring taichous, neither the swordsman, nor the blade that took them down showed itself.

"NII-SAMA!" Rukia screamed.

Byakuya heard the sound of running feet and felt strong hands pry him away from Tsutomu.

"This one is dead," Kyoraku taichou said solemnly.

"Kuchiki taichou is in very grave condition," said Unohana taichou's voice, "He must be stabilized here before we can transport him."

He grabbed the healer's arm, his fierce eyes meeting hers and taking in the sight of his fellow taichou's gazing down at him.

"R-renji did not hurt me," he forced out, making a collective gasp go through the group, "It was that man...Ishiki Tsutomu. Renji was...innocent!"

Blackness formed around the edges of his mind, slowly stealing him away from that place atop Soukyoku Hill. He didn't want to remember that pain inside that was worse than any of the hurts that Tsutomu had inflicted upon him. He retreated into darkness and calm to escape the feelings of loss and despair.

_Renji._

_This is all my fault._

_For ever letting that man into my life._

_For letting my fears over that failed relationship get in the way of letting Renji into my life._

_And for failing to save him._

_Kami knows, I will never forgive myself!_

He drifted away, losing himself for a time as the healers bent over him, struggling to save his life.

_Let me go._

_Just let me go._

_I want to leave with him._

_Why won't you let me?_

He felt himself being carefully moved to a stretcher, lifted and carried back to the fourth. He felt the return of his body to the room he had been in before, the needles carrying soothing painkillers that finally clouded his mind and dulled his senses. A soft hand slid into his and muted sobs registered in his ears.

"I'm sorry, Nii-sama. I'm so sorry," Rukia repeated endlessly, "We couldn't stop them. They wouldn't listen to us. It's hard enough losing Renji, but I can't lose you too. Please stay with me, Nii-sama! Please. Please, Nii-sama, please don't die."

And suddenly, Hisana's final plea sounded in his devastated mind, numbing his own despair and reminding him of his promise.

_Protect her with all of your strength..._

And as weak as he was, as close to death as he might have been, his promise held him poised at the tipping point between life and death...holding on tightly and refusing to let go.

"I...will n-not leave you," he whispered, making his shocked sister collapse onto his shoulder, her hands clasping his yukata and her tears dripping onto his skin.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Well, that was rather reckless of you, wasn't it?" asked Gin, following Aizen back into Las Noches, "After all, Kurosaki Ichigo was there. And might I add, you missed a lovely opportunity to hypnotize him, too...or do you prefer to leave room for a little bit of challenge?"

"The ryoka boy is nothing," Aizen said blithely, "And no one saw me or the sword that killed those two. Now...with that careless fool and the squad six taichou out of the way, we can continue our plans."

"And oh, isn't that fun?" Gin laughed, smirking, "I thought you had him with the very lovely testimonial that old guard gave him about the royal family thing. It was very convincing."

"That is because that part was real," Aizen explained, "What I told Abarai about his family being connected to the royal family is true. However...what I did not tell him is that a child borne by him could be used instead of the million souls to make the king's key."

"Oh!" Gin mused, blinking, "How very wicked of you, Sousuke! So...you are going to impregnate him and use the child to break into the spirit dimension? So crafty! But rather mean, don't you think? Your own child? Can you really be so beastly?"

"It is necessary," Aizen said, his eyes glinting softly, "We must all make sacrifices to reach our goals, Gin. And once I am king, I can make other children. And with Abarai Renji as my consort, they will bind the power of the royal family's blood with my own. No one will dare to challenge us."

"I see you have it all planned out," acknowledged the silver-haired shinigami, "However, there is one small snag, isn't there. You still have to convince Abarai to let you in between his legs. I don't understand why you don't simply hypnotize him and do it already. This long foreplay is beginning to grow tedious."

"He can only be impregnated if he is willing and cognizant at the moment of conception."

"Hmmm," mused Gin, "That is a problem, isn't it. But, as clever as you are, I am sure you will have him falling over backwards and spreading his legs for you in no time."

"Patience, Gin," Aizen said, smiling, "Some things cannot be rushed, but have to be accomplished slowly."

He pushed open the door to Renji's room, and the two went still in the doorway, registering that the room was empty.

"My, my," said Gin, "This makes things interesting, doesn't it? What if he goes back to the Seireitei? I heard Byakuya tell them that he was innocent before he lost consciousness. He could expose your diabolical little plan and ruin everything, ne? That would be just too embarrassing!"

"It won't happen," Aizen said, examining the empty bed with his eyes for a moment.

"Oh?"

"No one will be able to see him. I had Kyouka Suigetsu conceal his reiatsu and body so that they will not see nor sense him."

"Are we going to go after him, then?" Gin asked.

"Hmmm," said Aizen, considering, "He is probably going to pay his respects to his late taichou. Let us be kind and allow it. I will go and bring him back after that."

"How generous you are, Sousuke," Gin observed, sounding amused, "You must like him."

Aizen smirked.

"Abarai Renji is about to help me gain the key to the spirit dimension. I have the utmost appreciation for that. I assure you."

"Yes, I see that," chuckled Gin, "This is going to be very, very interesting!"

XXXXXXXXXX

_This is so strange, _mused Renji, _No one even looks at me! They're all talking about my execution, and I stand right there and yell at them that I am still here, but...they don't see me. They don't hear me. They can't sense me. What the hell is wrong with me?_

He wandered down the darkened streets, trying repeatedly to find someone, anyone who could see him. But each attempt ended in failure. And eventually, he was forced to admit to himself that whatever that man, Toru, had done, couldn't seem to be undone.

"...heard that Kuchiki taichou died."

Renji's heart froze.

_No!_

"No, he is still alive, but he is in guarded condition and there is security all around him. They still haven't found the one who attacked him at Soukyoku Hill."

_He was attacked at...he was there when I was...? Oh my kami! Taichou..._

He ran for the fourth division, forgetting the fact that he couldn't be seen or sensed, abandoning everything in a desperate attempt to reach Byakuya's side. He ran through the nearly empty lobby and, unseen, past the reception desk, down the hallways and past the guards who stood watch at Byakuya's hospital room door. The guards didn't even move as he burst through the door and into the room.

"You must go and rest now," Unohana taichou was telling Rukia, "He is stabilized now. And we have heavy security around him at all times."

"I know," said the exhausted girl, "but I can't make myself leave him. He's all I have left, now that Renji is gone."

_Damn...you can't see me either?_

_Rukia..._

He watched quietly as Unohana taichou employed a quick kido spell that sent Rukia off to sleep, then lifted her and carried her out of the room. Renji waited to be sure that he and Byakuya were alone, then he turned and walked to the bed, sitting down in the chair that Rukia had been occupying.

Tears came to his eyes at the sight of the noble's ghostly pale face, the pain written everywhere, and the short, jaggedly cut hair. He was glad that Byakuya was unconscious.

_He has to have been in horrible pain. And he was there. He saw them execute me. I wonder if he knew I was innocent..._

"R-renji?" Byakuya whispered, startling the redhead.

He looked down into the noble's dark eyes and watched them widen with shock.

"I can barely...s-see you. Are you really...there?"

_He can see me?_

"I'm here, Taichou," he said softly, slipping a hand into Byakuya's and kissing his fingertips lightly, "I'm with you."

"But, I saw you die. I saw..."

"Shh, it wasn't real. It wasn't me. It's a long story and I don't even understand all of what's happening, but...I wanted you to know that it wasn't me. I didn't hurt you, Taichou."

"I know."

Renji's eyes widened.

"You do?" he asked in a trembling voice.

"I have a confession to make," Byakuya went on, "about something that happened some time ago, after Hisana's death. It is the reason that I could not give you that night, Renji...the reason I could not return your affections."

"You don't have to explain, Taichou. If you didn't love me, it wasn't your fault."

"No, that isn't it at all, Renji!" Byakuya gasped, his hand clenching at his midsection.

"Stop it," Renji said, placing moving his hand to cover the noble's and infusing the area with healing reiatsu, "You need to rest. Please don't upset yourself. You were hurt really bad, Taichou. You almost died."

"I will die if I don't tell you. I cannot keep this inside any longer, Renji! It was not that I did not return your affections. But some time ago, in the aftermath of Hisana's death, the elders took advantage of my melancholy to convince me to enter a marriage of convenience. They chose a high ranking member of a powerful, but lesser clan and they convinced me to accept this man's hand in marriage. Gender in noble marriages is somewhat unimportant, because in absence of a female, we can reproduce with each other through physical acts of intercourse and reiatsu exchanges. I was so devastated over my wife's death that I did not question the request. I was never going to fall in love again, so I did not care. But...as our courtship commenced, and I got to know Ishiki Tsutomu, I sensed something very dark about him. And just before our wedding, he overstepped the boundaries of propriety. He caught me off guard, sealed away my powers and bound me. He wanted to have sex with me before we were even wed. I refused and was able to break free and escape him. I demanded that the wedding be called off, and the elders were considering it, when word came that Tsutomu was a fraud...the illegitimate offspring of a noble male and a Rukongai prostitute. The fact had been hidden because of his notable abilities. Given an easier 'out' the Kuchiki elders named that as their reason for calling off the wedding, and Tsutomu was disgraced."

"That's awful, Taichou," Renji said softly, "I'm sorry he did that to you. And I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop him from hurting you."

"That wasn't your fault," Byakuya insisted, grabbing Renji's sleeve, "I sent you away...and I did not even tell you, Renji...I..."

"It's okay. I understand. The guy really messed with you. That had to leave some scars. And I get why you wouldn't be able to trust me, then. I broke your trust. I took a position as your fukutaichou with the intent of defeating you. Why would you ever forgive, much less fall for a guy who did that, especially after what that guy did to you?"

"B-but, I did fall for you! I love you, Renji. I just...could not say it to you. I am sorry. Forgive me. Had I but followed my heart, Tsutomu would not have done this to me...and you would not have been executed."

"Wha...wait, Taichou, I am not dead! You see, this guy..."

"Renji, I know that I do not deserve your forgiveness. But...before your soul leaves this place, please tell me you forgive me...and even though we cannot be together now, lie down with me and let me feel you next to me, just once."

"Y-you don't under..."

He broke off as Byakuya's hands captured the front of his shirt and pulled him onto the bed.

"Lie down with me, Renji," he said again, his sad, gray eyes freezing the redhead in place, "I will gracefully accept that you are gone if you will give me this one, last beautiful dream."

"But...Taichou, you are...hurt. You can't do this."

"Make love to me, Renji. Just one time and I will ask nothing more of you."

Not waiting for an answer, he pulled the redhead down and into a long, open-mouthed kiss. His hands tore blindly at Renji's clothes, as the redhead tried to pull away, but found himself unable.

_I don't know what's going to happen now. I don't know why no one but Taichou can see me. And even though he can see me, he doesn't believe his eyes. He thinks it isn't real. What happened? What did Toru do to me?_

His thoughts were derailed as Byakuya's bared body arched upward into his, and the injured noble made a sound of pain.

"Stop," Renji objected, "You're going to hurt yourself worse."

"I will die if I do not feel you with me, Renji!"

"Damn it!" Renji snapped, biting at his lips as Byakuya's hands wrapped around his bottom, and the noble's thighs parted invitingly, "Stop it, okay? I..."

"Please, Renji! I need you to forgive me. I need you to be with me!"

"You don't even know what you are saying. You're delirious."

"I love you, Renji," Byakuya whispered, fastening his damp eyes on Renji's and bringing the redhead's hardened member to his entrance, "I do love you."

And despite everything, Renji couldn't look into the eyes of the man he loved more than life itself, hear him express his love, and then refuse him.

_Shit, what can I do?_

He closed his eyes for a moment, hardly able to suppress an aroused moan as Byakuya's hand caressed him.

"Taichou..."

"Please, Renji."

He paused again, his resistance crumbling.

"F-fine," he said, his eyelids fluttering and dizziness passing over him, "But...you lie still there and don't fucking hurt yourself."

He closed Byakuya's parted thighs and spread his own, carefully positioning himself over the injured man's body and taking him in slowly. Byakuya's dark, wounded eyes continued to gaze up into his, and took on a more hazy, contented look as their bodies were joined.

"I wish this could be real," he whispered, "Your body feels so real...so hot inside...so alive, Renji!"

Renji sank back into the noble's mouth, moving his hips gently.

_Gods, he's beautiful. He's even prettier this way than I imagined. But I wish he didn't look so heartbroken. How can I convince him? How can I make him believe that I'm still alive?_

He captured a pale hip, holding him firmly to keep him from thrusting.

"You're gonna bust your stitches if you keep doing that," he panted, closing his eyes as his pleasure intensified.

"I do not care!" Byakuya hissed in his ear, "I love you. And if this is our only time together, I want it to be...ah...oh, Renji!"

Renji smiled down into the noble's dazed eyes, kissing him passionately as his body pushed upward and Renji felt the sharp, wonderful pulses of Byakuya's seed filling him. He rested his weight on his hands, pushing down with his hips and letting the invasion of blazing heat overtake him.

_Oh kami, this is better than I dreamed it would be!_

Holding himself carefully over Byakuya's wounded body, he leaned down and offered the noble a few last, soft kisses before using a gentle throb of kido to induce sleep. He continued kissing the sleeping noble for some time afterwards, crawling down his lovely, pale body to devour the remains of their lovemaking. Then, he spent several hours after, gently infusing Byakuya's body with warm, healing reiatsu. He left just before dawn, stepping out onto the dark street and pausing to consider what to do.

_I have to go back and make Toru tell me what's really going on here. Something is very fishy about the guy's story. He's up to something. And I'm going to find out what._

He turned to go, but dropped in his tracks as something hard connected with the back of his head.

_Damn!_

Aizen stood over Renji's fallen form, glaring down at him.

"You are too much trouble," he mused, frowning.

He looked up at Gin.

"Wait until nightfall comes again and go in there and finish him. The next thing I want to hear about Kuchiki taichou is his funeral announcement!"

"Very well, Sousuke," answered Gin, "Then...we'll meet back in Las Noches?"

"No. I am taking Abarai to the living world."

"What? But what about convincing him of...?"

"It no longer matters," Aizen said darkly, "You sensed what took place between them. It was a willing exchange, so it will have made Abarai pregnant. We needn't posture with him anymore. I can use my powers to overwhelm his mind. And a few manipulations will enhance the speed of his gestation so that the wait will be cut down considerably. Go now. Take care of him as soon as darkness falls again."

"Of course," Gin said, smirking, "My pleasure."

"Just be certain that this time when you pierce his heart that it stops beating."

"That's fine advice, coming from one who also failed to kill him," Gin said saucily.

"_Go_," Aizen snapped, "Then wait in Las Noches until you hear from me."

"As you wish, Sousuke," Gin said, still smirking.


	6. To Die For

**Chapter 6: To Die For**

Byakuya winced at the sudden muted sound and the rumble of a nearby explosion. He opened his eyes and found himself looking up at Tetsuya, who sensed the direction of the disturbance, then motioned an awakened Rukia to the noble's side.

"Stay with him," Tetsuys said, his hand on his sword as he shifted into a nearly invisible waterform and slipped out into the hallway.

Healers and hospital security dashed up and down the corridors, honing in on the room that the Kuchiki clan leader had been purportedly sleeping in.

"It seems we were correct in believing that his enemy would return," mused the younger noble, turning back.

He returned to the room where Byakuya and Rukia awaited him, and nodded as he came through the door.

"Someone attacked the waterforms that we left in the other room," he reported.

Byakuya met his eyes wearily, thinking as well as he could despite the distraction of the pain that still wracked his injured body.

"We need to let my attacker think that he or she was successful," he suggested, sitting up slowly and accepting a dark colored cloak that Tetsuya handed him.

Rukia nodded as Tetsuya donned a second cloak and helped his shaky cousin to his feet.

"I will go and get things started," she said softly, "Tetsuya-san, please, take care of my brother and yourself."

"I will," Tetsuya promised, invoking his power and making his and Byakuya's bodies become nearly transparent waterforms, "I will not let any harm come to him. Just please remember to only confide this in Nori-san. It must be very convincing."

"I understand," said Rukia, "I will take care of things here."

Tetsuya waited as Rukia left the room, then slipped an arm around his injured cousin and helped him out the door after her. They turned in the opposite direction, and moved silently and unseen through the hospital corridors, a chill inside them as Rukia's wail of agony rose up behind them. They left the fourth division through the back entrance and slipped into the bushes, where Tetsuya paused and listened for a moment, then made a sound of relief as he met the sapphire eyes of his own tall, black stallion, who noted their state and also made himself transparent. Tetsuya nodded in approval and helped Byakuya onto the waiting stallion's back, then opened a family senkaimon. He climbed up behind Byakuya and nudged the horse into motion, closing the gateway behind them as they passed into the precipice world.

"Are you holding up all right?" he asked softly, looping an arm around his cousin's slender waist and peering ahead of them.

"I will be fine," Byakuya answered, his voice shaking slightly, "I am more concerned about Rukia. If the one who set me up to die also tries to attack her."

"I believe that you were the sole focus of the attack," said Tetsuya, but even so, she will be closely guarded throughout the period of mourning over our 'deaths.' And that will give us precious time to try to discover who is behind these attacks on you. The security staff will be monitoring closely during the funeral proceedings and will also be investigating the incident at the hospital I assure you, we will get to the bottom of this."

"It just seems so odd," Byakuya said softly, shaking his head, "While Tsutomu certainly had reason for what he did, I am not sure who would have been powerful and intimidating enough to force the man to work with him or her, and then kill him and injure me as he or she did, right there in front of everyone."

"Try not to worry about that," Tetsuya said bracingly, "You need to focus on getting well. You were badly injured even before what happened at Soukyoku Hill..."

He trailed off at the deeply pained look that crossed the noble's face at the mention of the place.

"Byakuya-sama, I am sorry," he said solemnly, "I wish there had been a way to stop what happened to Renji-san."

Byakuya sighed and closed his burning eyes for a moment.

"There was nothing you could have done," he concluded, "This is a formidable enemy facing us. We have been outmaneuvered several times."

He opened his eyes and looked into the darkness ahead of them.

"It grieves me to think that he died because of me. He haunts my dreams, Tetsuya."

"Try not to dwell too much on it," Tetsuya said tightening his arms around his cousin from where he sat behind him on the stallion's back, "It was not your fault. And if not for this concealed enemy, you would have been able to stop Renji-san's execution. You really did do everything you could."

Byakuya loosed another deep sigh.

"But I failed to do the one thing that would have headed all of this off. Had I but confessed the truth to Renji about being in love with him...while I...had the chance..."

"Please do not do this to yourself," Tetsuya pleaded, "As you have said yourself, this is a very determined enemy. We do not know that any of this could have been avoided."

Byakuya let the back of his head rest against Tetsuya's shoulder as his cousin's stallion walked on.

"I know that you are right," he admitted, "but it offers me no comfort. And I will be honest with you. Hisana's death was difficult and wore on me greatly. But Renji's death stings even more because I never told him how I really felt. And as often as I tell him in my dreams, it pains me that he can never know now."

"Try not to think about that," Tetsuya whispered into his ear, invoking a gentle throb of kido to make the distressed noble sleep.

Byakuya sagged against him, succumbing almost instantly.

"Rest now, Byakuya-sama. And when you are better, the two of us will see that Renji-san's killer an your attacker does not go unpunished."

He opened a doorway ahead of the stallion and guided him out of the precipice world and down into a quiet, dark park. The stallion followed the park's pathway, that meandered along the river for a time before turning them into a small neighborhood that overlooked the water. He found a small gray house near the water's edge and angled towards it, stopping his mount as they reached it. He slid down off of the stallion's back and gently lifted Byakuya down.

"You are on guard duty, Arashi," he reminded the stallion, "Let nothing approach us."

Arashi nodded briefly and then disappeared into the bushes. Tetsuya carried his cousin to the house and inside, then laid him gently in bed and quickly established a kido shield around their environs. He walked back to the kitchen and made a cup of tea, then sat down at the table and sipped at it quietly, his mind mulling over all that had happened. A knock on the front door, brought him instantly to alertness, and he left the kitchen and approached the front door as a key clicked in the lock and the handle turned. His slender hand on the hilt of his sword, Tetsuya waited as the door opened and a young, ginger-haired youth peeked in.

"Tetsuya-san?" he said, instantly putting the young noble at ease again.

"Ichigo-san!" he exclaimed, relieved, "I didn't know you would be here so quickly. But I am glad. Arashi gave you no trouble, ne?"

"Heh, just the usual," Ichigo said, closing the door and approaching the noble, "He loves to mess with me."

Tetsuya smiled as Ichigo's arms wrapped around him, and the younger man's lips sought his hungrily.

"Arashi is only...mmmm, safeguarding my honor, Ichigo-san," he managed between kisses.

A blush rose on his face and throat as Ichigo's hot, insistent tongue invaded his mouth and sought his, and he pushed the other young man away gently.

"Ichigo-san," he said, still blushing furiously, "My focus must be on Byakuya-sama. As much as I..."

"It's okay," Ichigo said, grinning, "I was just offering you a proper greeting. As much as I hate everything that has happened, I am glad that you are here. You don't come to Karakura Town so often. So despite what's going on, I want to enjoy the fact that you are here."

"Arigato," Tetsuya said softly, "And please do not take offense at my..."

"Stop it, baka," Ichigo laughed, grabbing the startled noble and kissing him again, "It is worth the wait to see you again."

"Ah...Ichigo-san," Tetsuya sighed, enjoying the feeling of being held by the other young man, "I must admit that I am grateful for the chance to see you as well."

Ichigo smirked and stepped back, leaving Tetsuya slightly reeling, and his heart pounding oddly.

"So...have you told your cousin we are seeing each other?"

"N-not yet," Tetsuya said, shaking his head briefly, "There has been so much going on..."

"Yeah, I understand. But...you don't think he'll mind, ne?"

"I do not know. It does tread upon several rules of the clan, but..."

"But it's not like Byakuya hasn't broken a few rules when it came to love, right?"

Tetsuya shivered softly at the word, and he met Ichigo's eyes wonderingly.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked, "I'm sorry, Tetsuya. I hope I haven't offended you."

"Offended me?" the noble repeated, shaking his head and riling his silken black hair, "You think you offend me, referring to what is between us as 'love?' Ichigo-san..."

Ichigo grinned and recaptured the sweetly flushed noble, kissing him deeply several more times before Tetsuya pulled away from him again and turned to make him a cup of hot green tea.

"Yeah," Ichigo chuckled, "I'm not making a secret of it. I love you, Tetsuya-san. And whether Byakuya likes it or not, I'm going to keep seeing you."

"Ichigo-san..."

"Take it easy, Tetsuya-san," Ichigo said, giving him a warm squeeze, "I won't piss him off...erm, not intentionally, anyway. But I am going to keep seeing you."

Tetsuya smiled and handed Ichigo the cup of fresh tea.

"I am flattered, Ichigo-san...truly. But, please tell me...I assume from your presence that word reached here about what happened at the fourth division?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said, nodding, and accepting the tea, "The message that Urahara got was that you and Byakuya were killed in an explosion at the healing center. And whoever did it was pretty damned determined that you would die, because he or she also used poisoned gas in case blowing you two up wasn't enough."

"But there was no word on who it might be?" Tetsuya queried.

"There's still no word on that," Ichigo reported, "But don't worry. I am sure they'll figure it out soon. In the meantime, I will help Arashi watch over you. And Hanatarou and Orihime will take turns coming out to check on Byakuya."

"Thank you, Ichigo-san," Tetsuya said, seeking the other young man's arms again, "Byakuya-sama and Rukia and I are very grateful to you and Urahara-san."

"No problem," Ichigo said, sinking into the young noble's sweet mouth again, "It gives me more chances to kiss you."

"Ichigo-san..." Tetsuya sighed, closing his eyes and enjoying the warm thrust of the ginger-haired youth' tongue deeper into his mouth, "I love you too."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Sir, word has come from the Seireitei that Kuchiki taichou and his cousin, Kuchiki Tetsuya were killed in an explosion at the fourth division!" reported the messenger.

"Ah," said Aizen, nodding approvingly, "That is good news. Jun, take a message to Gin, congratulating him."

"Yes sir!" the messenger said, rising and turning away.

"And Jun..." Aizen added, stopping the young man.

"Sir?"

"See that you 'reward' him appropriately."

Jun blushed, but managed a short nod.

"Yes sir."

Aizen laughed softly, watching as the young man left the house. Then, he rose and walked back to the bedroom, where Renji laid, dressed in a white yukata and securely bound to the bed. The redhead's red-brown eyes glared up at him furiously.

"Damn you! It was you all along, wasn't it, you lying piece of shit!" Renji snapped furiously, "Let me out of this! I'll kill you!"

"Ah, good to see you are awake, Renji," said Aizen, "And how clever it is of you to have realized so quickly that Toru was a lie."

"Bastard!" hissed the redhead, "What are you doing this for? What do you want with me?"

Aizen regarded him quietly for a moment.

"I want what I said I wanted," he said finally, "And now you are going to give it to me."

"What? What are you talking about? What are you saying?" Renji demanded, "If all of that shit you spouted at me was a lie, then..."

"Actually," Aizen said calmly, "only Toru was a lie. What I told you about your connection to the royal family is the truth. And now that Kuchiki taichou was so kind as to impregnate you for me, I have everything I need."

"Taichou...?"

"Yes," said Aizen, "Your little meeting with your taichou was 'fruitful,' Renji. You are with child. And that being the case, you carry the heir I was talking about."

"What? What the hell? But the king..."

"Word reached me through a spy in the spirit dimension that the king is dying and has no heir."

"Wh...what?" Renji stammered, his face paling.

"Although I was never able to breach the dimension wall, I do have someone inside. And that person has slowly been seeing to the quiet destruction of the royal family. Although the king, himself, has proved too difficult to kill, his wife and heirs were eliminated one by one...and now, he is dying of natural causes, and has no one to succeed him...no one, that is, but this child you carry."

"That is horse shit!" Renji fumed, "You don't know when to stop! First of all, I'm a guy and I'm not...!"

"You may argue all you like, Renji," Aizen said, smiling at him, "It does not change the facts. You are carrying the heir to the throne. And I mean to use that heir to gain entrance to the spirit dimension. If I have the heir, there is nothing that the king won't do to ensure his or her safety."

"You...you son of a bitch! I'm not gonna help you do that! You can fucking do what you want, but I am not...!"

He froze as Aizen leaned in close, touching his earlobe with hot breath as he spoke.

"You have no choice. You will do what I tell you to...or you will die."

"Like I believe for a second that you'd let me live a minute past when the kid's born!" Renji mused, "But you aren't going to get away with this, you freak! Kuchiki taichou will..."

"Kuchiki taichou is dead."

Renji froze.

_It's a lie._

_It has to be._

_Taichou can't be..._

"He died last night in an explosion at the fourth division."

He slipped a silver band around the redhead's wrist, then unbound him.

"But...why don't you go and see for yourself. That band will allow you to return to the Seireitei undetected and my illusions will shroud you so that you cannot be seen or sensed. I will allow you to go back to pay your respects at his funeral, and then, that band will bring you back to me. You will see. Byakuya is dead and no one else knows you are still alive...no one but Gin and me."

"You can't be telling me the truth," Renji said, staring at the band on his wrist, "It _has_ to be a lie..."

"Go now, Renji. I will see you once you have offered your lover a fond farewell."


	7. Hold Me Tight

**Chapter 7: Hold Me Tight**

Byakuya heard a soft tap on the bedroom door and hastily brushed away the tears that had formed in his eyes as he slept, unable to stop the recurring nightmares about Renji's death.

_I know it is wrong. How often have I been told that we should not cry? But I can't make the visions go away. They are there whenever I close my eyes. I handled the deaths of my parents, Hisana and so many others without shedding tears._

_But this..._

_Why is it that losing Renji like that feels like losing a part of myself?_

_We felt something for each other. It may have even been the beginnings of love. But I was a fool and let my fears keep me from acting on those emotions. Why? How could I be so stupid? I keep going over this repeatedly in my mind and still cannot make sense of it. I just wish that I had listened to him that night. If I had, then Tsutomu would not have been able to reach me, and Renji wouldn't have been executed because of me._

"Byakuya-sama?" said Tetsuya from the doorway, "I have brought your tea."

Byakuya nodded briefly, then watched in silence as his cousin entered the room and set the tea on his nightstand. Tetsuya gazed at him quietly for a moment, then sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

He sighed softly.

"But how could you be? I know you are still blaming yourself for Renji-san's death. But you should not. There is no way that you could have known. Some fateful choices we make are blind ones. We don't know how fate will turn or spin out of control while we struggle with them."

"That is true," Byakuya said softly, "But...my refusal to face what I was feeling for Renji...to trust him enough to tell him what I felt. Tetsuya, I drove Renji away. And because I did, Tsutomu was able to reach me easily. And look at the result."

Byakuya gazed at where his image was reflected in a mirror on a small desk on the other side of the room. He took in the sight of his starkly white face and hands, the hollow look in his eyes and the ragged ends of his hair where his rapist had cut it off.

"Renji is dead. And...there is so little left of me, that I might as well be too."

Tetsuya's expression grew tormented and he captured his cousin's hands in his, shaking his head fervently.

"Byakuya-sama, don't say such things! It is not your fault that that man attacked you or that Renji-san was blamed for the crime. How can you think that?" the younger man argued.

"You must admit that if I had not alienated Renji on that night, he would have been at my side that night. Tsutomu wouldn't have been able to..."

"It is equally possible," Tetsuya interrupted, "that even had he been there, Tsutomu would only have killed him getting to you. And Renji-san would still have died."

"But...to be accused of raping me, of trying to kill me...to have his honor and reputation publicly shattered in that way, then to die as though it was all true, when Renji would _never_ have done such a thing to me. Tetsuya, it is unbearable!"

Tetsuya bit his lip gently, trying to think of something more to say, but unable to come up with anything. Byakuya closed his eyes against the returning pain and swallowed hard to hold off his tears.

"But," the clan leader went on finally, "I will be all right, Tetsuya. Despite the hurt, I am committed to finding out who is really behind all of this. Who sent Tsutomu to do this to me? Who killed Tsutomu in front of everyone, without showing himself? And why? Why did this man set Renji and me up to die? I must find the answers to these questions. And I must make sure that whoever did this will pay for it. Right now, that is all I live for."

"And I will be here," Tetsuya promised, "I will take every step with you."

"I will too," said Ichigo's voice from the doorway.

"Ichigo-san!" Tetsuya said breathlessly, blushing as the shinigami substitute stepped into the room and approached Byakuya.

The noble gazed at him in silence for a moment, taking in the sleeping yukata he wore that he remembered being one of Tetsuya's, and the rising flush on his cousin's cheeks and throat as he read the comprehension in Byakuya's eyes. To Tetsuya's surprise, the clan leader evinced no anger at the realization. Instead, he looked from one to the other and back again, then sighed softly.

"Byakuya-sama?"

"Arigatou, Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya said, surprising his cousin and the human youth, "Your assistance is appreciated. As a close friend of Renji's, I know you must hate me for causing his death."

Ichigo's lips tightened and his eyes glinted with stubbornness and anger.

"You didn't cause Renji's death," he said firmly, "so stop blaming yourself. We're going to get to the bottom of this and find the creep who did all of this. And when we do, we'll make sure that he pays."

He paused for a moment, glaring at the Kuchiki clan leader meaningfully.

"But what we are doing will be for nothing if we allow you to lose yourself over this. Renji told me that he was in love with you. That being said, just as he was my friend and I protected him, I will protect the person who my friend was in love with...because that is what Renji would want me to do for him. So, whatever guilt you might be feeling, you need to put it out of your head. Get some rest and build up your strength. Kisuke will be here tomorrow and we're going to get moving on finding the bastard who did all of this. We need you to help us do that. If you really think that you were the cause of his death, then you should put all of your energy into making his killer pay!"

The room went silent for a long moment, with Byakuya and Ichigo's eyes locked in understanding, and Tetsuya's respectfully lowered.

"Again, you have my gratitude," Byakuya said, breaking eye contact, "_And_ you have my leave to see my cousin if you wish."

"Byakuya-sama!" Tetsuya gasped, staring.

Byakuya squeezed his cousin's hand gently.

"Love is something precious that needs to be acknowledged and protected carefully," the clan leader went on, "I have now learned twice that it leaves great damage when it is lost. Do not let that happen to the two of you."

A tear slid down from one of Tetsuya's wide, sapphire eyes, and he surprised his cousin with a warm, shaking embrace.

"I won't, Byakuya-sama," he swore, "I promise I won't!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji stepped out of the garganta that Aizen Sousuke had opened for him, then paused for a moment, thinking carefully.

_My first instinct, of course, is to run to Kuchiki Manor. But I think it's pretty clear that I have to make my moves carefully. I don't want to believe that Taichou is dead, but whether he is or not, the guy would tell me to slow down and think before I do something stupid that could really screw things up._

He glanced in the direction of Kuchiki Manor, his heart aching furiously at the thought of the preparations that were going on there for Byakuya's memorial service.

_Knowing Rukia, she won't be there crying and carrying on. She loved her brother enough to accept her own death at his command. She's going to stop at nothing to find out who did this to him. She'll be at the fourth, or out doing something about that. She won't miss his memorial, but she also will make sure that his killer won't get away!_

He flash stepped to the fourth and burst inside, still somewhat unnerved by the fact that no one could see him. Renji looked around and didn't see Rukia, so he walked the hallways quietly, first locating the destroyed room where Byakuya's life was said to have ended. He listened to the bits of hushed conversation around him.

_It was horrid how they died. There was nearly nothing left of them. We weren't even able to recover identifiable remains. We only know it was them because of the hospital records of them being there, and reiatsu traces left in the debris._

"Huh..." the redhead mused, stepping into the room.

He stopped in the doorway, seeing again in his mind how it had been the night he had spent with the noble. Renji's hand drifted down to his abdomen and his eyes burned with threatening tears.

_This is where it happened. One of the most beautiful things in all of my life. Byakuya admitted to loving me, and we made this kid together._

_This baby can't be all that's left of him!_

He studied the room carefully, and made several mental notes about the debris pattern and reiatsu traces. Then, he left the room and headed down the hallway, heading for the lobby. He stopped a moment later, spotting Rukia entering Unohana taichou's office. He slid in the door just behind her, almost getting slammed in it for his efforts.

"Kuchiki Rukia," the healer said in greeting, pausing to set a privacy shield in place around the room, "How are you faring?"

Rukia sighed shakily.

"I'm doing all right," she said, biting at her lips, "I'm really scared, though. I don't dare make any contact, but it's killing me, not being able to even talk to them."

"I understand," said Unohana compassionately, "And in addition to all of this, you have had a very difficult loss."

_What's going on? _Renji wondered, _What are they talking about? Taichou? Me?_

"Renji was like my own brother," Rukia said, tears leaking out of her eyes and running down her face, "We were the only kind of family that existed for us street kids in that place. I can't believe that he's gone. It doesn't feel real to me."

"You are in shock," the healer said, leaning forward to rest a hand on the distraught girl's shoulder, "And the ones who would have been a comfort to you cannot be here to comfort you."

"N-no," Rukia agreed, sniffing miserably, "but at least they are safe...at least, I think they are."

_What?_

"You haven't heard from Urahara Kisuke?" Unohana asked.

"Just condolences," Rukia said, shaking her head, "We really can't risk any more than that. My brother has almost died twice already. I won't be responsible for putting him in harm's way again. He is in good hands with Tetsuya-san. My cousin is completely devoted to Byakuya's safety. He will keep my brother safe in hiding until we figure out who is responsible for all of this."

_Taichou...isn't dead?_

"Rukia-chan," the healer went on, "I admire your dedication to your brother, but I know that Kuchiki taichou would not want you to be left alone at a time like this."

"Oh, I am not alone," Rukia assured her, "Head Councilor Nori has been really supportive. And Ukitake taichou has insisted that I stay in the thirteenth division barracks under guard until this person is arrested."

"But neither of them know the particulars of what is going on?" asked Unohana.

"No," admitted Rukia, "It's too dangerous. We have to be very careful. So, only you, Kisuke, Ichigo and I know what's really going on. Everyone else thinks that Byakuya and Tetsuya are dead."

_Oh, thank kami! _Renji thought, closing his eyes and feeling the burn of relieved tears behind his eyelids, _I don't know what I would have done if this was real! Okay...but even though he's still alive, I have to be careful or I will let on to Aizen what I know. I have to go to that memorial and then go back to that bastard in Hueco Mundo._

_But, before the memorial, I will find Byakuya and I'll see for myself that he's okay!_

He thought back to Rukia's words.

_So, only you, Kisuke, Ichigo and I know what's really going on._

"Huh, so Kisuke and Ichigo know," the redhead mused, "And if Kisuke and Ichigo know, then that means that, sooner or later, one or the other will go to where Taichou is hidden. And I'm gonna bet it'll be Ichigo, since he and Tetsuya have been seeing each other secretly and Kisuke will be putting on a show of accepting Taichou's death. Ichigo would be less conspicuous, because most people don't realize how much Taichou actually respects him. That's an advantage they'll bank on. I'm sure of it."

He waited quietly in Unohana taichou's office as the healer and Rukia finished talking, his heart aching at his friend's obvious pain.

_But I can't do anything for her right now. At least she has that councilor and Ukitake taichou. They'll take care of her until things are resolved. I can't help her, except by getting to Taichou. He saw me before. Maybe he will still be able to. I have to find him._

After Unohana taichou removed the privacy shield, Renji left the office and headed for the central senkaimon. He wondered at how easily he was able to slip undetected into the senkaimon and pass through to the living world.

_Aizen's got hold of a lot of scary technology, that's for sure. I'm going to have to be really cautious. I don't want him to figure out what I'm doing._

Renji walked quickly through the precipice world, then dropped down into a park near Urahara Kisuke's shop. He flash stepped to the shop and slipped in while Ururu was entering the place. Then, he followed Urahara's voice down to the scientist's lab.

"Has there been any word from Ichigo?" Kisuke was asking Tessai.

"One of your coded hell butterflies arrived a few minutes ago," reported Tessai, "They arrived safely, and Ichigo-san is staying with them to assist with guard duty."

"Good thinking," said the shopkeeper, "They need the protection. I have a bad feeling about this, Tessai. The fact that someone extremely powerful was behind that Tsutomu guy attacking Byakuya-san and the fact that Renji was so neatly set up to take the fall...it's unnerving."

"And that the person was able to attack Byakuya-san and his attacker in front of everyone without being seen..." Tessai mused, "Boss, have you considered the possibility of Aizen Sousuke being the one?"

"Yeah," sighed Kisuke, "It's crossed my mind. But what I can't pull together in my head is what would make Aizen do all of this when he's already on a course to invade the spirit dimension. There are some pieces of the puzzle that are missing. Until we answer those questions, there's no way to know for sure."

"Right."

Renji left the shop and walked slowly back to the park, thinking carefully through everything he had learned.

_They suspect Aizen is involved, but there's nothing to prove it. I would just tell them, but they can't even sense me. Byakuya might be able to, but he's in hiding. I have to find him. But even if I do find him, he's convinced he saw me die. I don't know how I'll get him to believe I'm real. There's no way to really substantiate it. But I'll worry about that later. For now, I'll just focus on reaching Taichou. That's going to be critical._

He sighed softly in frustration.

_Now I wish I didn't suck so badly at kido. I could sense him more easily. But I have to try, even if I suck at it. And it has to work this time._

He closed his eyes and focused on an image in his mind of the noble as he had last seen him. He couldn't help but flinch uncomfortably at the memory of how pale and thin Byakuya had looked, how emotional he had been and how devastated.

_And as much as it wasn't the worst of the damage, it was horrible what that creep did to his hair...how he marked up Byakuya's body with those awful words._

Sweat broke out on his forehead and he shivered uncomfortably as he strained to sense the noble's spirit ribbon. For several frustrating minutes, he couldn't sense anything. His head began to ache and a dull throbbing rose up in his ears from the effort.

_I have to do this. I have to find him._

He thought back to their lovemaking...the way it felt to be held by the noble...tightly, protectively, and heartbreakingly desperately. The return of the emotions that he had felt, resonated deeply inside him as he continued to reach out for Byakuya's presence.

_He's weak from all of his injuries. That makes him harder to sense. But there's a connection between us._

His hand came to rest on his abdomen, and he smiled sadly as he contemplated that little part of them that had come together to make that tiny new life that resided within him.

Renji inhaled sharply as a thought struck him.

_The baby!_

_Our baby carries both our reiatsu!_

He focused on the child's reiatsu, reaching deeply for the strands that had come from Byakuya, then imagined the innate connection between the noble and the child. He let out a soft cry of triumph as the spirit ribbon he had sought was slowly revealed.

"Thanks kid," he said tearfully, rubbing his belly gently, "You may just save our lives before ever being born."

He flash stepped wildly, following the course of Byakuya's winding spirit ribbon until he reached a small gray house near the river. A smile touched his lips as he sensed Ichigo's presence within the house, confirming that it was the right place. He ran to the house and burst inside, unfazed by the fact that neither Ichigo nor Tetsuya reacted to his arrival, and ran down the hallway to where he sensed Byakuya's weak, but very riled reiatsu. He opened the door and stepped into the room, stopping at the sight that met his eyes.

Byakuya slept on his side, facing the door, his expression troubled even though he wasn't awake, and his face nearly white. As he moved closer, Renji could see the still wet tears that had escaped his eyes and coursed down his cheeks as nightmares tormented him.

_Taichou...don't cry._

_I never saw him cry before all of this happened._

"Renji!"

The redhead felt a strong jolt of guilt as more tears ran from Byakuya's tormented eyes, and the noble's hands grasped at him desperately.

"Renji, are you really here?"

_He can see me..._

"I'm here," he answered, sliding into the bed and wrapping his arms tightly around the noble.

"I know it is just a dream," Byakuya whispered, "But I am glad you're here with me. I miss you, Renji."

"Well, there's no need for you to miss me anymore. Please believe me. I really am with you."

"But how can that be?" the noble asked softly, "I saw you die."

"It wasn't real. C'mon, Taichou, think! Who do you know who can make you see things that aren't real?"

Byakuya sighed heavily and let his fingers sink into Renji's thick hair. The redhead captured his hand and brought it down to his abdomen.

"Can't you feel this?" Renji asked desperately, "Can't you feel the presence of the baby we made when we made love? Taichou, please! I am really here. You can see me! I don't know why you can see me and the others can't, but, you have to help me!"

"Renji, I really want you to be here. But...you look so ghostly. And even you admit that others can't see you. Isn't it true that it is because you have died and haven't passed over because your killer hasn't been found? Is that why you torment me? I know that I deserve it for letting all of this happen, but..."

"Byakuya!" Renji yelled, grabbing the noble's face and glaring into his reddened eyes, "Stop it! I am really with you. I was set up by Aizen Sousuke! Think about it. He can make things seem other than the way they are. He sent Tsutomu to attack you and to set me up to be blamed! He went to Soukyoku Hill to make sure that people believed it was me who died."

"But why?" Byakuya asked, staring into his eyes, "What reason would he have to set you up to be killed, but then kidnap you instead?"

"He said that he found evidence that I was secretly related to the royal family," Renji explained, "I don't know if it's true or not, but he seems to believe it. He tried to trick me into making a baby with him, but when I saw through the lies he was telling, he let me get pregnant by you, then took me back."

"But you...escaped?" the noble queried, looking confused.

"Not exactly," Renji went on, "He heard that you and Tetsuya were killed, and he put this band on my wrist to hide me, then he sent me back here to prove to me that you were really gone. I was scared shitless that he was right, but I heard Rukia talking to Unohana taichou about you, and was able to connect the dots and follow you here. I came because you seem to be the only one who can see through this band's power. You're the only one I can turn to."

Byakuya considered his words quietly, picking up a cool, wet washcloth that Tetsuya had left for him and washing his face. Renji sat up next to him, watching closely as he struggled with what was happening.

"It is hard to know what to do," the noble admitted finally, "Realize that everything you have said could mean one of two things."

"What?"

"Either...you are really here and Aizen Sousuke is responsible for setting you up and kidnapping you, or...I am losing my mind and grasping at any straw to find a way to legitimize believing you are still alive. And...I am that desperate. I am driven to the brink, wanting so badly to take all of this back. But how do I know which one is the reality, Renji? No one else can see or sense you! No one but you can tell me whether you are here, or I have simply been overwhelmed by my grief and gone mad!"

"Then," said Renji, kissing him and laying him down again, "let me make you understand. I can't stay long. If I'm not at your memorial, Aizen will know that something is up. But, before I have to go, let me hold you for awhile. Maybe if we do that, we can figure out how to stop Aizen's plans. Whether you believe me or not, you're smart enough to think of a way around this. Just...let's not question the reality right now. Let me hold you for awhile, and let's try to think of something...anything that we can do! Will you do that for me, Taichou?"

"Renji," whispered Byakuya, blinking away fresh tears, "If there is any chance that you will come back to me, I would do _anything_!"

"I know you would, Taichou," Renji answered, capturing his lips in another deep, penetrating kiss, "And I love you for that."

Byakuya's eyes widened and he touched Renji's face with tentative fingers.

"Then, you forgive me?"

Renji smiled and loosed the ties at their waists, allowing their warm skin to touch.

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"I wouldn't tell you the truth about what I was feeling."

"You weren't ready. That kind of thing, you can't force."

"But, if I had told you that night, then you would have stayed with me. I sent you away. If what you say about Aizen is true, then I played right into his hands!"

Renji chuckled.

"Which would put you in the same boat as a lot of other people. That guy fooled us all before. You shouldn't blame yourself for missing what everyone else has too."

"You weren't fooled," Byakuya said pointedly.

"Yeah," Renji laughed sadly, "Ironic, isn't it? It doesn't matter. All that does is that we don't lose each other...and that we protect the baby we made together."

"Baby?"

"I'm pregnant, Taichou. I told you. That's how I found you today. I found you using the connection that we share with our baby."

He took Byakuya's hand and placed it on his abdomen.

"You can feel it, right?" Renji asked.

Byakuya froze, the breath leaving him as the gentle throb of life pulsed warmly beneath his hand.

"Our...baby..." he mused, "Renji, it feels so real!"

"It is real. I am real," Renji insisted, "And what's happening between us is very, very real."

He continued kissing the stunned noble, and slowly slid wetted fingers down to prepare him. Byakuya stared raptly into the redhead's affectionate eyes, reeling as he felt the gentle invasion and possession of his body. Renji's hot mouth devoured his, and his loving brown eyes held his captive, making his thoughts go into a hard spin. It was nothing at all like what Tsutomu had done, but a slow and loving partaking that resonated enough to bring tears to his eyes again. He moved with the body on top of his, afraid to close his eyes, for fear that it would turn out to have been just another vivid dream.

But Renji's body felt warm and strong and alive. His kisses were hard and passionate. And the hands that caressed the noble's bared skin felt far too real to be his imagination. Renji's body shifted, and his thrusting member found a place inside Byakuya that made the pleasure explode all through him. He moaned into Renji's possessive mouth, his hands clenching the redhead hard enough to leave marks. The redhead's heat filled him suddenly, driving his own body into release. He could have melted in the heat that overtook him then, but Renji's hands touched him more soothingly, and a gentle swell of healing power seeped into his recovering body. Renji's kisses grew softer and Byakuya felt exhaustion slowly overtaking him.

"Renji," he whispered, "I love you."

Renji kissed him again, biting at his lips and feeling tears in his eyes as he ran his fingers down the rough, uneven lengths of the noble's hair. Then, he laid down beside him, holding him close, swearing to himself that no one would ever hurt Byakuya like that again.

"I love you too, Taichou."

"Don't call me that," the noble said sleepily, "If you are really here and we have become lovers, then it isn't proper."

"Fuck proper," Renji laughed, "Just because we're lovers doesn't make you any less my Taichou. That's who I fell in love with. Why shouldn't I call you that?"

"As you wish then," Byakuya sighed.

"Aww, hell, Taichou, what are we going to do?"

Byakuya bit his lip gently, his eye coming to rest on the band on Renji's wrist.

"I am not sure," he answered, "But I am not letting you go back to him."

"What?" Renji objected, "Taichou, I have this band on my wrist that's going to force me to return to him! How are you going to get it off?"

"Urahara Kisuke," Byakuya answered.

"Kisuke?" Renji repeated, "But...the guy can't see me! How are you gonna convince him...?

"I don't have to convince him," Byakuya said, shaking his head, "I just have to get him to tell me how to remove that."

"That sounds dangerous," the redhead observed, watching as Byakuya climbed out of the bed and reached for his clothes.

He stopped and stared as some of Renji's seed exited his body and trickled down his inner thigh. His eyes widened as a thought occurred to him.

"Renji, you said that you became pregnant by me, ne?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"You also said that the child's reiatsu led you to me."

Renji nodded.

"No one but me can see you or sense you," Byakuya said, his fingers drifting down to touch Renji's seed, "And even this would be beyond them. But...if you have been impregnated by me, the reiatsu from you that bound to mine would form the child's reiatsu. And...it would be detectable that the child was yours, as that is a passive evidence of your presence, rather than a direct one."

"So, even if he can't sense me, he might be able to sense the child, ne?"

"Yes," Byakuya affirmed, "But I have to approach this carefully. If I say the wrong thing, then he is going to think I'm mentally unbalanced and he'll ignore whatever else I say. But if I...!"

He left the sentence hanging and began to dress hurriedly. Renji grabbed his clothes and dressed as well. They started towards the door and were almost there when Tetsuya appeared in the hallway in front of them. The blue-eyed noble stopped and stared at Byakuya questioningly.

"Byakuya-sama...where are you going?"

_Shit_, mused Renji, _What do we do now?_


	8. The Unseen

**Chapter 8: The Unseen**

**(Thanks to YaoiAnimeHunter for the nudge to continue this. :) Byakuya has his hands full as he tries to convince Kisuke that Renji is alive...and Kisuke sends Tetsuya on an important mission! Enjoy the chapter, love Spunky)**

"Byakuya-sama?" Tetsuya repeated, gazing at his cousin appraisingly.

"I need to see Urahara Kisuke now," the clan leader insisted.

"You cannot possibly..." Tetsuya began.

"I understand your concern, but you know well the seriousness of what is happening. And I will tell you that I have suspicions that lives are in danger and I may know something that can protect those at risk."

"What is it that you think you know?" Tetsuya inquired.

"There isn't time to discuss it. I need to see Urahara Kisuke now," Byakuya insisted, keeping his voice calm and resolute.

"I understand," Tetsuya assured him "But it's risky going there while whoever this is attacking people could be watching."

"Far more is at risk by _not _going," Byakuya countered.

Tetsuya frowned, studying Byakuya's look of determination. Noting his hesitation, Byakuya looked around questioningly.

"Where is Ichigo?"

"He went to check in with Urahara-san and he had some things to attend to. But Arashi is on watch outside. And if you are certain we must do this, I can shield us from view with my waterforms. I do not mean to delay you, but Urahara-san was adamant we should keep our heads down."

"Well, with what I intend to hand him in the way of information, I think he will be satisfied that the risk was necessary. But we have no more time to debate this. Are you going to assist me or will you stand in my way?"

"Of course I am with you," Tetsuya affirmed, "I only needed to be sure that there was good reason for taking the risk. I told you. I trust your instincts, Byakuya-sama."

"Thank you, Tetsuya," Byakuya said gratefully.

Byakuya waited as his escort quickly dressed, then Tetsuya carefully concealed their bodies in his nearly invisible waterforms. They left the small house they had been inhabiting and worked their way back to the former twelfth division taichou's dwelling. Byakuya paused within a cluster of trees as Tetsuya scouted out their approach, then the two silently entered the building and exited the protective waterforms, earning a gasp of surprise from Tessai as they appeared.

"Goodness, you took me completely by surprise!" he exclaimed, "I thought that the boss said you should stay hidden for your safety."

"He did," Byakuya admitted, "But there is information that I have that could assist him in finding the ones responsible for what has happened."

"I shall go and bring him."

"No need to go, I'm here," Kisuke said, entering the shop from an interior hallway, "But let's get you folks out of sight. We don't want our enemy to get wind you are here."

The two followed Kisuke to his lab, where they sat down in a small lounging area to talk. Kisuke nodded briefly at the Kuchiki heir.

"So you told Tessai that you have information for me?" he asked.

"Yes. I have information and I need information, actually."

"Okay, shoot."

"First, tell me if you know anything about reiatsu return bands. If one is wearing one, is there a way to remove it? Please don't waste time asking why I need to know. The life of someone close to me depends on it. Just tell me how to remove such a thing."

"I would have to see it," Kisuke answered, frowning at the oddness of the question, "But who is..."

"It doesn't matter," the noble went on hastily, "If that is not something we can pursue right now, we must discuss the rest of what I came to tell you."

"O-kay," the shopkeeper said, more hesitantly, "Did you remember something about either of the attacks on you? Is that what this is about?"

"It is," Byakuya confirmed, "I have found irrefutable evidence that it was not Renji who was executed at Soukyoku Hill."

Kisuke's eyes narrowed and his face took on a skeptical expression.

"Hey, Byakuya-san, I know you've been through a lot, but..."

"Listen to me," Byakuya insisted, laying a restraining hand on the shopkeeper's arm and looking into his eyes, "Think carefully about the fact that although two men were attacked in the plain view of a large group of people, no one saw who killed Tsutomu and impaled me! Then, understand this. I was sure that when Renji seemed to come to me after the execution, that his appearance was conceived by my mind. I did feel guilt over being the reason that he was given a death sentence."

"That wasn't your fault, Byakuya-san. You know that," Kisuke assured him, "But that doesn't..."

"It doesn't matter! All that matters is that Renji really did come to me and I need to find a way to prove that to you."

Kisuke gave the Kuchiki heir a little amused smirk.

"I assume he can't just pop out and tell me he's here?" he asked, shaking his head.

"No," Byakuya agreed, "But I want you to think about this before you decide I am out of my mind. There is an enemy to Soul Society who can cause us to see things other than how they are in reality."

"Right," Kisuke agreed, "You mean Aizen Sousuke."

"Yes. I mean Aizen Sousuke. Renji told me that he was abducted the night the attack on me took place and that he was taken by Aizen Sousuke. Aizen related to him a story about Renji being part of a lost branch of the royal family and he wasn't sure if the claim was true. But according to Renji, Aizen was behind Tsutomu's attempt to kill me and his abduction. And I will tell you whether you choose to believe it or not, that Aizen was the one whose weapon struck Tsutomu and me at Soukyoku Hill during Renji's supposed execution."

"So...Aizen, who is currently building up his hollow army and preparing to move against the king took a time out to snatch Renji, who just happens to be a royal relative and...?"

Kisuke sucked in a sudden, surprised breath.

"What is it? You've thought of something?" Byakuya asked quickly.

"Maybe," the shopkeeper said thoughtfully, "Did Renji tell you anything else?"

"He said that when Aizen couldn't convince him of his claim and he escaped, he returned to me in the hospital and we made a child together."

"Eh," Kisuke said uncomfortably, "You do know that this is sounding more and more crazy, don't you, Byakuya-san. And considering all of the lives at risk here..."

"Don't you understand? Aizen was going to impregnate Renji! But after Renji escaped and made a child with me, Aizen wasn't jealous, he was pleased! He _wants_ that child for some reason."

"But Renji escaped again and is...?"

"There," Byakuya said, pointing to where the redhead stood, leaned against the lab room wall, "I know you don't see him, but he is there. Kisuke, he is wearing a reiatsu return band. At the end of my memorial, he will be forced to return to Aizen. We have to stop that from happening!"

Kisuke paused and exchanged glances with Tetsuya, who frowned and looked hard in the direction Byakuya had indicated. After several long moments, he shook his head gently. Kisuke sighed softly.

"I'm kind of at a loss here. I know you're convinced of all of this, but I can't make sense of it. And there's something else to consider. Ichigo was at Soukyoku Hill when Renji was executed. Wouldn't he have seen through the fake?"

"It was a mod soul."

"I see. Was the Aizen that struck you a mod soul too, Byakuya? Because if Aizen was using an illusion to hide himself, Ichigo should have been able to see him. He hasn't been hypnotized by Aizen, so he should have seen Aizen attack you."

Byakuya's mind reeled as he grappled with the words, but as he opened his mouth to speak, Ichigo's voice issued calmly from the doorway.

"I was screened by other people there," he explained, "I didn't see who attacked that guy and Byakuya."

"And do you see Renji?" Kisuke asked, pointing in the direction Byakuya had indicated.

Ichigo's head turned and he frowned.

"Ah...no," he said, shaking his head sadly, "I don't see him."

A look of devastation passed over Byakuya's features and Kisuke touched his arm sympathetically.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "But if Renji was there, Aizen's power couldn't blind Ichigo like that. Unlike a lot of people in Soul Society, I know how his power works. Byakuya-san..."

"Wait," Byakuya persisted, "Before you decide that I am imagining him, I want you to sense in that area..."

"I _have_," Kisuke said, frowning, "I've got nothing, Byakuya-san!"

"N-no, not for Renji," the clan leader asserted, "Find _my _reiatsu...or at least one that is related to mine. Please...just try."

Kisuke rose and walked to the area the noble had indicated. He closed his eyes and extended a hand. As Byakuya, Tetsuya and Ichigo looked on, Renji captured the shopkeeper's hand and brought it to his abdomen. Kisuke stared in surprise as his hand moved, seemingly of its own will and he felt the smallest flicker of familiar reiatsu. Wonder lit his face and he smiled.

"You sense it?" Byakuya asked hopefully, "You sense our child?"

"Yeah," the shopkeeper replied, his smile widening, "There is definitely a developing reiatsu right here. And that means..."

"He's not crazy," Ichigo concluded, "But if Renji and the baby are right there and I'm supposed to be able to see through Aizen's illusions, then why don't I see him?"

"I'm not completely sure," Kisuke confessed, "But it may be that the device Aizen placed on Renji offers some kind of camouflage. It's kind of a stretch, but we know now that Renji is here."

"And we also know that if we do not remove that thing from his wrist, then he will be forced to return to Aizen," Byakuya concluded.

"Right," the shopkeeper agreed, moving to his computer and sitting down as the others moved closer, "Okay, Byakuya, I want you to look at the device...use your senses to examine it. Tell me as much as you can about what you can pick up."

He listened carefully, entering the information and watching the screen on his computer as his search progressed. The others gathered around him, their eyes following his, and holding their collective breath as he continued to seek the answer they needed.

"We'll have to wait a few more minutes, and while we do, we should figure out how we're going to make our approach to the manor."

"Do you imagine Aizen Sousuke will go there to wait for Renji-san?" Tetsuya asked, "But then, why the return band?"

"I think that was probably a 'just in case' kind of thing," Kisuke surmised, "Yeah, I think he'll be there. If Renji's as valuable to him as Byakuya-san is suggesting, he may want to hedge his bets."

"But won't he expose himself to capture?" asked Tetsuya.

"Probably not," the shopkeeper answered, "The Gotei knows he's gone to Hueco Mndo and that he has a plan to use the hollows to reach the king. But I suspect he has a way to use Renji to make an end run around the Gotei."

"That's what you think this is?" Byakuya quieried.

"Yeah. And as soon as I have confirmation of how to remove that thing from Renji's arm, we're going to shut down his plan!"

He glanced at his watch, then at Byakuya.

"What time did you say that the service will start?"

"In a few minutes," Byakuya answered, "I hope your method is not a lengthy one."

"And that your memorial is," Kisuke sighed.

His eye strayed to Tetsuya, who sat quietly at the clan leader's side, then he made a sound of triumph.

"Tetsuya-san," he said quickly, "How would you like to help buy us a little bit of insurance?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Was it really necessary for you to come here?" Gin asked, looking around the gardens, "Don't you think there might be someone who hasn't seen your shikai who would recognize us?"

"Ah, but remember," Aizen said, smirking, "Even those not hypnotized by the ritual can still 'overlook' what they are not expecting. It is no concern."

"But I still don't understand why we are here. Do you just take joy in seeing the Kuchiki family suffer?"

"Some," Aizen admitted, "But perhaps I just felt the need, after all of the false starts, to be sure that Byakuya is actually dead."

Gin laughed softly.

"I told you, I blew that room to smithereens! All that was left was bits and pieces. Byakuya is dead."

"So it seems," Aizen agreed.

He looked around the gardens, then frowned and guided Gin back to the main wing of the house.

"What's wrong? You look rather concerned?"

"Didn't you notice? Renji isn't here yet."

"Ah..."

"And it's almost time."

"Well, he could be trying to figure out how to escape you, but he wouldn't miss his taichou's service. I think I'm actually a bit touched by how devoted he became after Byakuya almost killed him. He didn't like you that much for almost killing him."

"And he will like me even less if he crosses me and I find he tried to escape."

"Ooh, aren't you all scary today," Gin cooed, looking amused, But don't you think he knows he's cornered? And without Byakuya..."

He noted the deepening frown on the other man's face as Aizen reached out with his senses and extended them beyond the manor.

"What's wrong? You don't sense him around?"

Aizen's eyes darkened dangerously.

"He isn't in the Seireitei," he intoned in a low, angry voice.

"Well, he is friends with Ichigo and that bunch from Karakura Town. I suppose he could be there."

Aizen walked back to where the growing crowd was gathering, studying the faces of the guests carefully.

"Rukia's here," Gin observed, "and Shihoin Yoruichi is over there."

"But think about who is not," Aizen insisted, "Urahara Kisuke and his lot, Ichigo and Orihime. And if they are not here now, where are they?"

He focused more deeply and a slow, satisfied smile crawled onto his face.

"Oh, that's a devilish look," Gin commented.

"I see. He, of course, turned to Kisuke for help. He is in Karakura Town. But...I think he will have to return here, at some point."

"Really?"

"They will want to know why I was so interested in impregnating Renji, and because it involves the royal family, the only place that will hold information they need is the Kuchiki family archive. That being said, they will eventually return here. We only need to conceal ourselves and wait. As soon as they come here, we will have them!"

"But Byakuya is dead," Gin objected.

"The one who replaces him will have access to the archive, as well as an interest in finding Byakuya's killer. Whoever is chosen will help them willingly. But we will not let them reach the archive."

"You seem very sure of yourself," Gin chuckled.

"I think in addition to taking Renji, we should plan on taking Kisuke as well. It would be good to have an extra eye on the process..."

"Oh ho ho!" Gin laughed, pointing, "Looks like you gave our foes too much credit."

Aizen's frown deepened as Renji appeared in the distance and moved forward to stand near where Rukia stood with the Kuchiki elders, beside memorial photographs of Byakuya and Tetsuya.

"So, he didn't go to Kisuke?" Aizen mused, "Odd. I thought that the obvious move for him to make. He doesn't seem the sort to give up and cooperate so easily."

"What are you doing?" Gin asked as Aizen moved forward to where Renji stood, watching the memorial service and blinking back tears.

"Renji?" the leader of the hollows said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder.

A moment later, he started to laugh loudly.

"What's so funny?" Gin inquired, "You're really becoming a little frightening, Sousuke."

"It seems I wasn't wrong after all," Aizen said, drawing his sword and slashing at Renji's back.

Gin stared in surprise as Renji's body broke apart and fell to the ground in a splash of water.

"What in the world?" Gin mused.

"A waterform," Aizen concluded, "That is Kuchiki Tetsuya's power."

"Oh?"

"Could it be that even now Kuchiki taichou is still refusing to die? Well, as soon as he sets foot here, his death and the rest of theirs will become a reality!"


End file.
